Tнe Game Cнanger
by F 0 R E V E R M 0 R E
Summary: Tony Stark: womanizer; he narrows in on a pretty face, smiles, and they're his (at least for the night.) Then he meets Evie: sweet, naive, bubbly, too-innocent-for-him-to-taint, Evelyn Marie Addams; a possible game changer. But before Tony can further explore the interesting mind of the ballet dancer...Afghanistan happens. Tony/OC.
1. Her Name Is Evelyn

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © F0REVERM0RE _  
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

**Chapter One:**  
Her Name Is Evelyn

* * *

**MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: THEATER DISTRICT**

She breaths in and out steadily. _Focus_. Though her nerves are trembling, and her heart rate elevates, she has to remain and appear calm and collected and professional. _Focus. He is watching._

"Come on, ladies, get those legs up – higher, higher!" Sophia, the choreographer, claps and continues to watch the dancers warm-up with scrutiny. However, Evelyn isn't worried about Sophia, she's more worried about Marcus, the director of the next production, _Swan Lake_, who is watching the dancers on the sidelines.

This is Evelyn's time to shine. She always got picked to be at least in the production, but never to be the lead role. This time will be different. She practices night and day– perfecting every move of the Swan Princess.

Marcus passes through the rows of dancers, tapping a selected few on the shoulders as he passes. He taps Evelyn, and her heart swells with hope. She forces down a huge smile from spreading across her face. Marcus usually taps the girls he wants to stay behind to discuss the upcoming production.

"All those whom I have tapped on the shoulder can continue with their warm-ups. Those who I have not tapped, come with me," Marcus announces.

Evelyn's limbs freeze, and her body tenses. She's not even in the _audition_? She's always at least in the audition!

"Evelyn, focus!" Sophia snaps. Evelyn obeys even though tears blur her vision.

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"Marcus, Marcus!" Evelyn calls for the attention of the director she is currently chasing down the hall of the theater. Practice is over, and Evelyn is ready to head home to her cramp apartment; but not without speaking to Marcus on why she wasn't chosen to be apart of _Swan Lake_.

"Yes, Evie, what is it?" Marcus halts in front of his office door and turns around. He crosses his arms across his stomach, giving Evelyn his full attention.

Suddenly, Evelyn feels nervous, again. She never liked confrontations. She would always lose because she prefers to please others rather than displease. She clears her throat and tucks a lose strand of her dark wavy locks behind her ear. "W-why wasn't I chosen to be in the..." She licks her dry, chapped lips, too scared to finish her sentence, and just hopes that Marcus knows what she is talking about.

Marcus sighs. "Look, Evie. You really are one of the most hard working dancers in the company, but...for _Swan Lake_...you no doubt would be a terrific White Swan-"

"So what's the problem then?" Evelyn interrupts.

"I was getting to that." Marcus' face scrunches up in annoyance by Evelyn's interruption. "Evie...you are no Black Swan."

Evelyn blinks and lightly tilts her head to the side. "What does that mean...?" she questions benignly.

"For this production of _Swan Lake_, I am planning on having the same dancer play both roles," Marcus explains. "And, you, Evie...are just too innocent and naive to to play that part of the more..." —he trails off, again, becoming wary— "...seductive and deceiving Black Swan." Marcus pointedly peers down at Evelyn's clothes as he spoke, and Evelyn follows his gaze. She is wearing white stockings, black Mary-Jane shoes, and a long pale pink coat with large, round black buttons that are covering the traditional black leotard that she is still wearing. So because Evelyn likes to wear cute clothes, she's not getting the part?

Evelyn pushes up her large-rimmed glasses that she prefers to wear when not performing. (She hates contacts, they sting.) "I can be more..." she trails off, feeling awkward at the subject of not being "seductive" enough. "...Black Swan-e," she finishes, her tone extremely low and quite, practically mumbling the words.

Marcus breaks out in a large grin and laughs. "Evie, there is nothing wrong with the way you are now. In fact, I prefer you that way."

"But I want the part," Evelyn whines childishly, probably not helping her case and further proving Marcus' point. "I know all the moves and-"

"Evie, Evie – stop." Marcus firmly grasps Evelyn's shoulders. He stares right into her eyes, and says, "You are trying much too hard. If you keep this up – you'll burn yourself out way before your time. Remember, you're just one more year away from being thirty." Evelyn opens her mouth to speak, but Marcus hushes her. "You are the first one here in the morning, and the last to leave. You. Need. To. Relax. Take a break."

"Take a break?" Evelyn squeaks in shock, her mouth agape. "What? Why? What did I do?" she asks, panicked. "Is it because I peed myself a little that one time? I'm sorry! It's just that we were right in the middle of practice and-" Evelyn is quieted by Marcus' hand clamping over her mouth.

"This is exactly why — because you get too worked up," says Marcus, removing his hand. "Dancing is meant to be fun, not a way of life. Don't you have any other hobbies besides ballet?"

"Of course I do," Evelyn chortles. Although, when Marcus waits for her to continue, she can't. She's dumbfound. Lost for words.

"Exactly," Marcus deadpans.

Again, Evelyn is close to tears. She practiced so hard for the part, and she's not getting it, nor is she going to be a part of the production — period. And now because she suddenly grew a pair in order to talk with Marcus, she is being forced to take an unwanted break from the company and dancing.

"Auditions for the role are in two months," Marcus sighs. "If you take that break, you can come back and audition for the Swan Princess."

"Really?" Evelyn beams with delight.

"If you tell anyone, I'll deny it," Marcus declares. "As a director, I'm not allowed to have favorites."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Evelyn squeals and tightly embraces Marcus.

"Yeah, yeah. Just get out of here. Go and have some fun," he orders.

"So...?" Evelyn smiles impishly, biting her bottom lip. "I'm your favorite?"

"Don't make me regret it," he mutters.

Evelyn smiles broadly. "Your secret is safe with me." She nods firmly, running her fingers across her lips- "zipping" her mouth shut.

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

Slamming the trunk of the rental car closed, Evelyn bounces over to the drivers side and climbs in. "It's only two months," she utters to herself while turning on the car and buckling her seat-belt. "I can last two months away from New York." She tries to encourage herself. Pulling away from the curb in front of her apartment building, into the parking lot like traffic, Evelyn's cell-phone rings. Pushing a button near the radio, she answers the call, "Hello?"

"Why aren't you taking a plane like a normal person?" The voice of Evelyn's younger sister, Emily, asks, her tone stern.

"Because I thought that a road trip would be fun and relaxing. I can see the sights that everyone is talking about," Evelyn responds. She hasn't been out much since she moved to New York. Only when she's apart of a traveling production, and even then, she never leaves the hotel she stays at.

"Evie, to get out of New York traffic alone takes, like, five hours."

Evelyn scoffs. "Don't be ridiculous. It can't possibly take that long." Though, for how long she has been in New York (which is going on nine years), Evelyn has taken the subway rather than a car. "Besides," she adds, mumbling, "I've already rented a car."

"Oh, Evie..."

"What?" Evelyn shrugs her shoulders, seeing no harm in taking a five day, to week long, drive to Malibu, where she is going to stay with her baby sister for the two months of no dancing. "It should be fun."

**FIVE DAYS LATER**

**50 MILES OUT OF LAS VEGAS**

Evelyn sits cross-legged on the trunk of the rental car, her chin propped up on top of her hand.

"Stupid Emily," she grumbles. "Jinxed me."

Evelyn is only about a few hours away from Malibu, and the dang rental car breaks down. Luckily, she got the insurance. But, still, how is she going to get to Malibu now? She's in the middle of nowhere! Sure, cars are zooming by her, leaving the city of Vegas, but do any of them stop to help a lady in need? No. If Evelyn saw someone stranded on the side of the road, _she_ would pull over and offer her help because she's cool like that; though, she knows nothing about cars, but that's besides the point! People are just rude these days.

There is always the option of walking the 50 miles back to Vegas and getting a plane ticket like Emily told her to, but it is too far a walk for the current heat and lack of water. Plus, Evelyn doesn't want to call Emily to go and pick her up at the air port once she lands, because then Emily would lord it over Evelyn's head that she was right, and then fuss over how dangerous it might have been for Evelyn to be stuck in the middle of the desert all by herself, blah, blah, blah. Even though Evelyn is older, Emily has always treated her like the younger Addams; although, she has her reasons.

Evelyn followed in her mother's footsteps of being a performer. Emily took the more "logical" approach and went to college and then started her own (and very successful) catering business. And while Evelyn remains single, too focused on her dancing career, Emily settled down and got married and has two kids, Danny, who's a year and a half, and Samantha, who's four.

"Car trouble?"

Evelyn yelps and nearly falls off of the car at the sudden male voice. Collecting her composer, she peers over her shoulder, towards her savior whom she didn't hear pull up. He stands about 5' 9" (or six feet, Evelyn can't tell someone's height by just looking at them), has tanned skin, a broad chest and shoulders (athletic build), and a well trimmed goatee with dark, wind-blown hair. He doesn't appear to be some kind of psycho. And his silver car looks quite expensive even though he's casually dressed: gray cotton shirt, simple jeans and brown boots.

"Oh, YES, thank you!" Evelyn is delighted to see that at least ONE person in the world has the decency to help her. She scrambles off of the trunk of the car and dashes over to the kind stranger. "I don't know what's wrong with it. It has a full tank of gas."

"Let's take a look. Do me a favor and pop open the hood," the kind stranger orders.

At first, Evelyn is confused by what he meant by "pop open the hood", but once she saw him head to the hood of the car, it dons on her, and she rushes over to the driver's side of the rental car. She pushes the button that opens the hood of the car and then jogs over to the stranger to see if he can help her get the car to work, again.

"Wow," the stranger mutters. "This engine is filthy."

"Is that bad?" Evelyn asks, peering at the car's engine. She has no clue what she is looking at.

"We'll have to see. Can you try and turn it on for me?"

Evelyn nods, though the stranger does not take his eyes off of the engine. Evelyn slides into the driver's seat and turns the key in the ignition. The engine sputters, but does not turn on.

"Try pressing the gas!" the stranger directs. Evelyn does as told. Still, the car does not turn on.

She sticks her head out of the car and asks, "What's the verdict, Doc?"

The stranger closes the hood and shakes his head. "Not good. I can't fix it here because I don't have the proper tools."

"Well, I guess I should call the rental company," Evelyn remarks, blowing air out of her mouth. "How long do you think it will take for a tow truck to come?" she asks the stranger.

He quirks a brow. "Depends. Do you feel like sleeping in a car?" he quips. Evelyn groans and throws her head back. "Where were you headed, anyway?" he asks.

"Malibu," Evelyn answers.

The man nods once and his eyes roam over Evelyn from head to toe. "I can give you a lift." He shrugs. "That's where I'm heading myself."

Evelyn raises a brow. "You're not some psycho rapist, are you? Because if you are, I've got some mean pepper spray in my bag; burns like hell and may even blind you for life."

The stranger stares at Evelyn as if she suddenly grew a second head. "You have no clue who I am?" he asks, flabbergasted.

"You weren't on America's Most Wanted were you?" she asks warily.

He cracks a smile. "Something like that. Name's Tony." He holds out his hand for Evelyn to shake, which she does.

"Evie," she responds.

"So...How about that ride?" Tony asks, pointing over to his silver car from over his shoulder.

**[Tony]**

Against Pepper's wishes (more like orders) Tony drove to Vegas for a weekend of relaxation. Endless drinks, gambling, and women — how could he resist? And after quickly checking out of the hotel that morning, leaving what's-her-name in bed, Tony was on his way back to Malibu.

Casually speeding, he so happened to glance out of the passenger's window and spotted a tiny red ford parked off to the side of the road. At first, he was going to shrug it off, but once he noticed the woman perched on top of the trunk, he had to do a double-take. He expertly—and illegally—did a U-turn and slowed down his speed so that he could get a better look at the woman. She had to be attractive in order of him to stop and offer his services. Tony Stark does not stop and pull over for just _anyone_. Satisfied that the woman was indeed attractive enough, Tony, again, did an illegal U-turn and got out of his Audi.

"Car trouble?" he called out.

The woman nearly fell off of the trunk, and Tony's reflexes were to try and catch her before she fell (possibly adding some brownie points to convincing her to sleep with him), but she regained her balance and turned to look at him. Tony suppressed a smile from spreading across his face. She was more attractive than he thought: dark hair that was messily pulled back into a pony tail, with bangs. Creamy white skin. Full rose-colored lips. And—his favorite feature so far—big, round blue-eyes that were unfortunately hidden behind a pair of thick black-framed glasses. And when she scrambled to get off of the car, Tony got a good look at her petite and slender figure, and was sold. This woman was worth helping.

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

Tony is back on the road to Malibu, except this time he now has a companion. A lady companion named Evie, a woman who has _no_ clue who he is. How is that possible? Tony glances at her, and sees that she is sitting quietly on the passenger's seat with her eyes roaming the interior of his Audi. Tony tries to suppress a grin; women can never resist the car, and even though Evie doesn't know who he is, she's still in the bag, or in other words, the sack.

"You must be paying a fortune for this car," Evie comments. "I could barely afford to rent the Ford."

"This isn't a rental," Tony replies. "I own it."

"Really? Wow. Are you a doctor or something?"

"I...Uh...Own my own company." Tony tries not to brag too much. He's never had to explain who he is to a woman before, and it feels kind of awkward.

"What is it called?" she genuinely asks.

Tony is still semi-bothered that this girl does not know who he is. "Stark Industries," he replies.

"Your last name is Stark?" she asks.

Tony nods and thinks that she might NOW know who he is, but she doesn't, and instead says, "Mine is Addams. Evelyn Marie Addams."

"What do you do?" It is Tony's turn to ask.

"I'm a dancer," she does not hesitate to state proudly.

Tony is mind-blown. Evie did not look like the type to be a dancer, but maybe that is why she broke down outside of Vegas? Tony smiles to himself. His night with Evie is certain now that he knows she's an exotic dancer. Perhaps he can ask her out on a little date when they reach Malibu — hit a club or bar, have a few drinks, maybe eat, and then they can head to his beach house for the evening.

"What's in Malibu?" he asks, because if she's going for something depressing, like a funeral, he would have to bait his time in wooing her.

"My sister. I'm taking a bit of a break from dancing to visit her," Evie answers.

Tony detects a bite in her tone, but he leaves it alone. He's not interested in her personal life. Deciding to change the subject, no longer wanting to make small talk, Tony offers for Evie to put on the radio to whatever station she'd like. He needs her to be comfortable around him in order for him to make his moves on her. He isn't some ass who seduces a woman who isn't willing.

"Can I?" she asks. "I actually made a little mix CD for the long drive."

"Yeah, go ahead." Tony nods.

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"...can't read my, can't read my, no he can't read my poker face," Evie sings and dances in her seat. She faces Tony, sings more of the lyrics, and does the Vogue dance move around her face.

Tony can't help but shake his head and chuckle underneath his breath. Evie's "little" mix CD is filled with nothing but upbeat songs which she knows the words to. Some even are in Japanese and other foreign languages. Tony has to admit, Evie is definitely...something — Energetic, bubbly, and just full of positiveness.

"What's wrong? You don't like Lady Gaga?" Evie stops dancing and gazes at Tony.

"No, no – she's...good," Tony squirms to say. Lady Gaga isn't his first choice when it comes to listening to music. He prefers classic rock, or even a bit of modern rock.

"Ah, I see." Evie nods seriously and smiles. "You're the kind of guy who likes rap music, right?" When Evie tries to mimic some gang signs, Tony laughs. Yes, Evie is definitely not what he was expecting when he first picked her up. She's...cute.

"No, I don't like rap music," Tony replies.

"Then what type of music do you like?" she asks.

"Rock. Plain and simple."

"What are some of your favorite bands?"

Tony glances at Evie, and is momentarily blindsided. All the other women he dated (can he even call it that? Dated? They were nothing more than one-night stands, that's it), but, not a single one of them asked what kind of music he liked, nor showed much interest in knowing, like Evie looks like at this exact moment.

"AC/DC is my top favorite I will have to say," he answers.

"Never heard of them," Evie bluntly replies.

"You never heard of AC/DC?" Tony's brows shoot up to his hairline.

Evie shakes her head.

"Hit 'Next Album' on the radio," he orders and nods over to the radio.

Surprisingly, Evie pushes the button and stops her own music without hesitation.

**[Evelyn]**

Evelyn and Tony listened to Tony's entire collection of AC/DC CDs that are in his car's built in CD player during the drive to Malibu. Astonishingly, Evelyn actually knew a few of the songs, to which she and Tony bellowed the lyrics together.

"Just take a left at the upcoming stop sign, and my sister's house will be the fifth one on the left," Evelyn instructs.

Tony slows to a stop at the correct address, and he lowers down the music. Evelyn unbuckles her seat-belt and gets out of the car. Heading to the trunk—which barely fitted her three large suitcases—it pops open, and she begins the struggle to pull the heavy bags out of the compact space.

"Let me get those for you," Tony declares and effortlessly gets out all three suitcases. Plus, he helps Evelyn roll them up to Emily's front door.

"Thank you SO much for the lift, Tony, I really appreciate it. I probably would still be waiting for that tow-truck," says Evelyn.

"It was no problem," Tony replies, shrugging.

With Tony's strong eye contact, Evelyn shifts her gaze shyly. "Well, if there is any way that I can repay you, tell me, and I'll do it, no problem."

"Now that you mention it..." Tony smiles slyly.

Evelyn tilts her head, puzzled. The front door creaks open, and the excited voice of Emily Blake (nee Addams) trails off. "Evvv...huh?"

"Emily!" Evelyn squeals in happiness and engulfs her sister in a hug. Emily is a tall 5'11", slender and fair-skinned beauty with long flowing blonde hair; completely opposite from that of Evelyn. When Evelyn pulls away, she notices that Emily is staring awestruck over her shoulder at Tony. "Oh! Emily, this is Tony. Tony, this is my baby sister Emily."

"Nice to meet you." Tony holds out his hand for Emily to shake, which she does so hesitantly. Tony turns his attention back to Evelyn. "Give me a call when you have some free time on your hands," he says as he fishes out his wallet from his pocket and gives Evelyn one of his call cards.

"Okay," Evelyn replies, briefly looking over the 10-digits. She freezes, though, when she feels a soft pressure on her cheek. Eyes wide at Tony's kiss, a wide, goofy smile spreads across Evelyn's face when Tony winks at her and heads back to his car.

"Oh, stop," Emily groans and yanks Evelyn inside.

"My bags," she whines.

"Richard," Emily calls out her husband's name. "Can you please take Evie's bags to the guest room while I reprimand her?"

Richard Blake, a handsome dentist with brilliant straight white teeth, chiseled features, and short, cropped brown hair, sits up from his place on the couch in front of the TV. "Sure, no problem," he answers, while, at the same time Evelyn asks, "Reprimand? Why, what did I do?" her voice slightly squeaks.

After Richard retrieves Evelyn's suitcases from outside and disappears down a hall that probably leads to the bedrooms, Emily snaps at Evelyn. "Are you crazy?" she whispers harshly. "Do you have _any_ idea who that guy is?"

"Yeah, of course," Evelyn responds, bland. "That was Tony. I just introduced you to him."

Emily face palms herself. "No," she grumbles. "That was Tony _Stark_."

Evelyn blinks. "And...?"

"And?" Emily's jaw slacks. "What were you doing with him?"

"He was just being nice and gave me a ride after my rental car broke down. It was no biggie."

"He was only being nice just to get into your pants. He seduces women into sleeping with him, and then the next morning- dumps them like yesterday's garbage."

"Really?" Evelyn touches the cheek that Tony kissed. "Wow, he's good."

"No." Emily speaks in a motherly tone and slaps Evelyn's hand away from her cheek. "You are not allowed to have any association with Tony Stark while you're here, you got it?"

"But-"

"Evie."

"Maybe-"

"Evie."

"Emily."

"No."

"Fine." Evelyn pouts and storms off down the hall that Richard disappeared into, only to go back to Emily. "Where's my room?"

"First door you'll see," Emily answers with a shadow of a smile.

"Thank you," Evelyn huffs and stomps into her room. She throws Tony's card on the nightstand before plopping down on the bed. She stews in her anger for a total of five seconds before she starts to grow bored. On the nightstand where she just threw Tony's card, she sees a picture frame containing a picture of her deceased mother. Evelyn only stares at the picture for a few moments before sucking at her teeth and patting her legs, wondering what to do next. She spots her luggage neatly placed by the door and rushes to them. She unpacks the most important object in her suitcases: A calendar. After pining the calendar up on the wall, Evelyn crosses out another day which leads up to the _Swan Lake_ auditions in almost two months, and then begins to slowly unpacks her belongings. The more time she takes, the better. That's one of the reasons why she chose to take the long drive — to eat up time.

Remembering Tony's card, Evelyn picks up the crumbled parchment and tries to flatten it out.

"_He seduces women into sleeping with them, and then the next morning- dumps them like yesterday's garbage."_

_He was good,_ Evelyn thinks to herself, sucking her lips into her mouth. _I probably would have called him if Emily hadn't told me not to_.

"._..And, you, Evie...are just too innocent and naive to to play that part of the more...seductive and deceiving Black Swan.__.."_

_Seductive and deceiving, _Evelyn continues to ponder. Her face brightens as an idea creeps up into her brain. _Tony can teach me to seduce women! No, wait, men!_

About to grab her cellphone, Evelyn stops. It is getting late into the evening. The last time she checked the time was in Tony's car, and it was nearly 10:30, and that was quite some time ago. He's probably heading home to go to sleep. She doesn't want to bother him. She'll just have to wait until tomorrow morning to call him. Don't owners of company's wake up supper early for, like, work?

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"Good morning, everyone," Evelyn announces cheerfully, strolling into the breakfast room in nothing but her nighty and robe.

"Aunt Evie!" Samantha, Evelyn's four-year-old niece, beams, revealing a syrup covered face. Danny, Evelyn's year-and-a-half nephew giggles and squeals, slamming his palms on his high-chair counter, smashing his pancakes in the process.

"How are my two most favorite people in the world?" Evelyn kisses the sticky cheeks of both Samantha and Danny.

"Good," Samantha replies.

"Well that's wonderful." Evelyn sits down at the table, and Emily places a cup of coffee in front of her. "Where's Richard?" she asks her sister.

"At work," Emily answers.

"Aunt Evie? Can yew get me something out of the friger-friger?" asks Samantha.

"That's what she calls the refrigerator," Emily quickly explains in Evelyn's ear.

"Wha...really? Aww, cute." Evelyn whispers back. She refaces Samantha. "Why of course I can get you something from the friger-friger. What do you want, sweetie?"

"Cece wants milk with her pancakes," answers Samantha.

"Well, Cece can't have any because she never finishes it," Emily intervenes, collecting Samantha's plate of pancakes. "Now why don't you and Cece go out back and play before it's time to take you and Danny to Tumble Tots?" she adds after wiping the four-year-old's face clean.

"'kay!" Samantha jumps off of the chair and runs outside, though she is still visible from the breakfast room's window.

"Who's Cece?" Evelyn asks once Samantha is out of ear-shot.

"Her imaginary friend." Emily takes a seat next to Evelyn at the table. "I only hope that Samantha doesn't keep Cece for as long as you did..."

"What do you mean?" Evelyn's brows furrow. "I don't remember having an imaginary friend." When Evelyn sees Emily visibly stiffen, her face falls when she realizes what subject she brought up. "Oh..." she murmurs. "Was it when I was sick?"

Emily smiles weakly and places a hand over Evelyn's, and says, "It's fine that you don't remember much of your childhood, Evie. I hardly remember anything either!"

"But I don't remember anything before...The place."

Emily sighs and changes the subject. "So, what do you have planned for today?"

Evelyn doesn't know whether or not she is glad about the change of subject. She has always been curious about her past. She doesn't remember anything from before she was thirteen, and even then she didn't exactly want to remember her time at...The place. The staff treated her like cold, heartless monsters, or were scared shitless of her, and the other patients were nuts. Evelyn did everything she could to get out of "the place" as fast as she could to go home, but when she did get home, no one wanted to talk about what happened. Ever.

"Evie?" Emily asks in concern.

"Huh? Oh." Evelyn shrugs at Emily. "I don't know. What do people do when they're on vacation?"

"You could go to the beach?" Emily inputs. "Or the museum...or...and I'm just pulling this out from the top of my head - you could come and help me at work?" Emily smiles sheepishly. Evelyn raises a brow. "Yes, you say? Well, only if you really want to." Emily makes up Evelyn's mind for her. "'kay, so tomorrow night I got signed to cater a HUGE charity event, and I'm a tad low on hands. I need you to help me serve Hors d'oeuvres."

"Is that the reason why you wanted me to come here for my vacation?" asks Evelyn.

It is Emily's turn to raise a brow. "Like you had anywhere else to go," she retorts.

"Fair enough." Evelyn pouts.

"I'll get you a uniform in your size." Emily winks and then lifts Danny out from his high-chair. "Come on, Danny, it's time to get ready for Tumble Tots. Evie, can you watch Samantha while I clean up Danny?"

"Sure, no problem. You go right ahead."

Once Emily is out of view Evelyn sneaks a glance at Samantha, who is still playing outside, and then she tip-toes over to the wall phone. Taking out the card Tony gave her, Evelyn dials the number. The line rings twice before a woman answers.

"This is Virginia Potts."

Evelyn is thrown off-guard. "Uh...Is Tony there?" Evelyn is cautious to ask.

"Who may I ask is calling?" the woman, Virginia, asks.

"I'm sorry, I think I have the wrong number." Evelyn swiftly hangs up the phone. "Oh my God, he's married — of course," she mumbles to herself. _Married guys are always better at seducing women. Well, there goes my plans. Now how am I going to learn how to be more Black Swan-e?_

"Will you be okay here by yourself for the day?" Emily re-enters the breakfast room with a newly cleaned Danny.

"Emily, I'm not a child. I think I can take care of myself," replies Evelyn.

"Right," Emily says, shaking her head. "Well if you want to go somewhere, you can borrow mom's old car. The keys are hanging on the key-rack by the garage. Samantha! It's time to go, let's go!"

"Coming!" Samantha shouts.

"Bye Evie."

"Bye. Have a good day at work."

"I'll bring back your uniform when I get home!" Emily shouts, and then with a soft slam of the front door, Evelyn is left alone.

Sighing, Evelyn washes her coffee cup and goes back to her room. Picking up the picture of her mom, she bites her inner-cheek. Evelyn's mother's name was Barbra Addams, and she died just after Evelyn moved to New York after switching dancing companies; she transferred from the one in San Francisco. She is Evelyn's inspiration to continue dancing for as long as possible, because Barbra danced well into her 50s; though, not all ballet. Barbra taught both Emily and Evelyn the arts of entertainment and performance: singing, dancing, and acting—Barbra did it all, and was amazing at it. Everyone knows who Barbra Addams is. And Evelyn wants to go down in history just like her mother. Though, it never started that way. Evelyn didn't start to dance, sing, or act until she got out of the place, and she doesn't even know if she _knew_ how to any of those things before then. Although, when she started to learn all over again, everything came natural to her, so she might have knew how to do them all from before she was thirteen.

Evelyn remembers nothing before she was thirteen. All she remembers is waking up one morning and being surrounded by white. She couldn't walk, she couldn't talk — she couldn't do anything. A woman who was dressed in white came into the room hesitantly; she gave Evelyn food. After that, Evelyn never left the room all day, except for one hour, when she was let outside for some fresh air and "exercise". Alone. Even then she had to be carted around in a wheel-chair because she, for some odd reason, couldn't do much of anything. That pattern lasted for a month before Evelyn was released to a mother she didn't remember. And when Barbra saw Evelyn, she was so happy. After which, Evelyn was then introduced to a sister she couldn't remember either.

Evelyn had thought that Barbra would try to teach her everything about her past all over again, but, she didn't. Instead Barbra told Evelyn that she was better off not knowing her past before The Place. Still. What could have Evelyn done that she is better off not knowing about? Why did she forget? Is it bad?

Evelyn sighs and looks over at her CD collection of classical music that she brought along with her. She knows that she promised Marcus that she will take a break from dancing, but dancing is the only thing that makes Evelyn feel better whenever she feels down in the dumps.

"Well... I can't NOT practice. I'll stiffen up," she tells herself, trying to rationalize why she's rushing to change into her leotard and ballet shoes.

* * *

**(A/N) Author's Note:** This is a repost and a revised version of _The Game Changer_, I don't know if you guys remember it. I plan on elaborating more on Evelyn's past in this version, and maybe a little more romance, too. So, this will take place before, during, and after the first Iron Man movie.

This is part one in a series of stories with my character, Evie. And I just want to add that Evie is based off of the character Jessica Day from the hit TV show 'New Girl'. Seriously, you should watch it, it is funny as hell; and if you want get a better feel of Evie's character and how I imagine her. I think she would be perfect for Tony.

Please review. Tell me if you like this version better than the last, for example. You input is greatly appreciated!


	2. The Art of Seduction

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © __F0REVERM0RE_   
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

**Chapter Two:**  
The Art of Seduction

* * *

He can't believe it. He just cannot believe it. She didn't call. How could she NOT call him? Women always call him. Always. Tony tares his gaze away from the time on his alarm clock in his bedroom, and decides to take a shower before starting his normal morning routine, over three hours late may he add. Once done he ventures downstairs and strolls right into Pepper's home office in his house.

"Hey. Any calls?" he questions.

"For the last time, no," Pepper responds irritably. She is sitting behind her desk, typing away on her desk top. "I don't even know why you keep that stupid line open to begin with."

"Well, I'm not going to give strange women my actual phone number," Tony chortles, plopping down on a plush, leather seat in front of Pepper's desk.

Pepper gives Tony a look that makes him shift uncomfortably in his seat. She sighs. "I'm just tired of getting yelled at and hung up on by the women you sleep with. They call, I answer, they ask for you, I look through "the list" and tell them you're not available if they're on the "avoid" column," says Pepper in exasperation. "I did not see being some sort of pimp on the job description when you hired me."

"You're right." Tony nods assertively. "How about a raise?"

Shaking her head Pepper's lips part to speak, but the ringing of "the line" causes her to close her mouth and answer the phone. "This is Virginia Potts...Who may I ask is calling ... Hello? Hello?" She sighs, hangs up the phone, and gazes at Tony. "And that is why I totally deserve my new raise."

"Who was it?" asks Tony, scooting to the edge of his seat in anticipation. Could it have been Evie?

"She hung up before she told me a name. Why are you suddenly interested in..." a smile stretches across Pepper's face. "Who did you meet? What's her name?"

"No one important." He waves Pepper off, attempting to be nonchalant. "I think I'm going to go for a quick drive."

"Hold it," Pepper calls, stopping Tony before he left her office. "Before you go and ignore your regular schedule, there is at least one thing that you cannot ignore: The charity event. It's tomorrow night, and they want to know if you'll be attending so they can reserve a seat."

"Depends. What are they serving?"

"Oh!" Pepper beams at the subject. "They got Emily Addams to cater. I heard that her food is delicious. I've always wanted to taste some of her recipes but..."

"Did you say Emily _Addams_?" Tony quickly faces Pepper, who jumps at his sharp and sudden movement. It couldn't be a coincidence that this Emily Addams shares the same surname as Evie, and how Tony was introduced to her sister who so happens to be named Emily, as well.

"Yeah... oh no, she's not the woman you're waiting to hear from, is she? Tony, she's married!" exclaims Pepper.

"No, it's not her," Tony replies. "It's her older, very much available, sister, Evie. We are talking about Emily Blake, right?" He questions to clarify.

Pepper nods. "I think she kept her surname as Addams for her cookbooks only. I didn't know she had a sister, though."

"Yeah, I picked her up on the way back from Vegas," says Tony.

"Are you telling me that you picked up a _hitch-hiker_?" Pepper's jaw slacks. "That could have been dangerous! What were you thinking?"

"That she's a dancer." Tony grins mischievously.

Pepper looks at him, appalled, and slowly shakes her head. "I don't know why I bother," she mutters underneath her breath.

"Yeah, me neither," Tony quips. "I'm going for that drive now."

Tony is half-way out of Pepper's office, again, when her voice stops him dead in his tracks. "You're not going to start stalking this girl are you?"

There is a long pause before Tony answers. "...No."

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

Slowing to a halt, Tony can spot the white suburban home of the Addams family a few houses away. He parked where he knows for sure that Evie, or any other member in her family for that matter, can't spot him. And just in case she is there, he brought a different car than the Audi- so she won't recognize that it is him. Okay, so he lied to Pepper, he went to Evie's sister's house. But he isn't stalking the woman! Tony Stark does not stalk women — they stalk him. He just has to see if Evie is still at her sister's. If not, then it will explain why she didn't call him. Normally, whenever he gives out "his" number, the women call within minutes... it's been nearly 24 hours, an entire day. The longest time ever that a woman hasn't call.

The house appears to be empty. There are no cars parked in the driveway, but, then again, there is still the possibility that they're parked in the garage.

Tony stayed parked outside Evie's sister's house for about an hour, when he realizes that he is parked outside Evie's sister's house. _What am I doing? I'm not the one that's suppose to do the waiting – she is!_ The burst of realization temps Tony to march right up to the front door, knock, and demand an explanation. His hand is right on the car door handle, about to open it, when he sees movement from the corner of his eye. He panics. He quickly turns on his car and speeds off.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

The base of the music thuds through Tony's body, oddly calming him. Usually one would think that loud music is distracting, but, for Tony, if anything, the loud music helps him think. In this case, the loud base is keeping him focused on cleaning one of his car's engines and off of the first woman to have never called him back. Tony's been in his workshop as soon as he got home from the embarrassing mistake of visiting the Addams residence.

The music turns down, and Tony goes rigid when Pepper asks quizzically. "Were you just listening to Lady Gaga?"

Okay, so Tony's mind wasn't _fully_ off of Evie. She had left her "little" mix-CD in the CD player of his Audi, and it started playing when he turned the engine on (this was before he decided to take another car instead of the Audi, so that he can blend in better than he could with the very expensive silver sports car). And, for some odd reason, he didn't turn it off. Instead, he took it out of the CD player and downloaded the songs onto JARVIS' database for future use; it's kind of a good listen really; certainly is keeping him pumped up and focused on his tasks.

"Should you be telling me something?" Pepper asks, tone thick with concern.

Tony ponders. He spins around in his stool and asks, "You're a women, right?"

Pepper raises a brow. "Gee, what gave that away?"

Tony ignores Pepper's sarcasm. "Let's just say, hypothetically, that we've never met before, and you also have no clue who I am." Tony briefly pauses. "Would you call me if I gave you my number?"

The tall, red-head's face visibly reddens. "I... uh... I don't know if that's an appropriate question to ask me," she answers. "But since you're asking "hypothetically"... well... I don't know. I DO know you; too much actually."

"So... definitely yes?"

Pepper loudly exhales and semi-slouches. She purses her lips, and when Tony smiles, she smiles too. "You are funny, charming, and deep, deep, deep down – are genuinely kind. So how dare this woman not call you so that you two can have cheep, meaningless sex. Well, for you, cheap, meaningless sex."

"Exactly! Is that too much to ask for?" Tony throws his hands up in the air in exasperation.

Pepper shakes her head. "Is that the answer you wanted?"

"Yes." Tony nods. "She's obviously a lesbian," he adds firmly.

"So because she didn't call you, she's a lesbian?" Pepper raises a brow.

"What other reason could there be?"

Pepper responds in a dull tone, "None what-so-ever."

Tony grins and refaces the engine he's cleaning. "So, go ahead and start badgering me," he says. Even with his back facing his P.A. (Personal Assistant), Tony can feel Pepper's stern gaze drilling a hold in the back of his head.

"I don't badger," she replies. "You pay me a ridiculous amount of money to be your personal assistant, and be your personal assistant I shall." There is a distinct clicking of a pen. "I've already rescheduled your nine and ten o'clock appointments since you magically decided not to care about your schedule this morning; they are moved to next week..."

"Get to the good stuff," Tony interrupts.

Pepper sighs. "When I called to verify your attendance for the charity event, they asked if you would like to reserve another seat, possibly for a date."

"Yes," Tony answers. "And take the rest of the day off to shop for something to wear. Make it something expensive; use my card." Tony is met with utter silence. He spins back around on his stool, towards Pepper; she is gawking at him. "I thought you said that you've always wanted to taste Emily Addams' cooking?" he questions.

"I-I do... Thank you, Mr. Stark." A wide, excited smile stretches across Pepper's face.

"You're welcome, Miss Potts," Tony replies, the corner of his lip rising. Now Evie is off of his mind.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

After a few "mandatory" meetings with the Board of Directors, which Pepper made him attend, Tony is officially off of the hook for anything dealing with business for the next few days, weeks if he can distract Pepper long enough. It's not like Tony doesn't care about his company—because he does—he just never liked the boring part of being the CEO of Stark Industries, the long, boring meetings and... no, it's only the meetings.

Tonight, Tony can just let loose and have fun. Although, first he has to go to some charity event; he forgot for what cause, but he donated money anyway. Hopefully it won't be too bad, and yesterday Pepper seemed really excited about the cater, so at least Tony will have a good meal.

While lacing his tie, Tony's thoughts briefly drift to Evie, but he brushes her off. The only reason he's thinking about her is because she's the first woman to have never called him – that's all. He'll get over it and her eventually. Like tonight perhaps; maybe he'll seek out some company for the evening. Checking the time on his Rolex, Tony notes that he and Pepper need to leave soon in order to make it to the charity event on time. A knock on his door causes him to glance at the reflection on his mirror. He freezes. Tony swallows thickly, his loose tie suddenly feeling too tight.

She is breath taking — Red-hair delicately curled, falling gently around her shoulders, down to the subtle curves of her breast. The lavender gown gleams underneath the bedroom lights—silk—and it hugs his P.A's frame perfectly.

"Need help with that?"

Tony blinks out of his inappropriate thoughts and turns around to face Pepper. He forgot that he's still finishing up his tie. Without waiting for a response, Pepper walks up to Tony and gently pushes his hands away from the tie's knot. She expertly loops the tie, softly patting it once she is done.

"You ready to go? Happy is waiting with the car," she says.

"Happy's driving?" Tony quickly changes moods from anxious to bewilderment. "I thought that I would drive?"

"Well, I don't exactly want to squeeze into one of your sports car – not in this dress at least," replies Pepper, with a light chuckle.

"And a nice dress it is." Tony smirks and shifts his gaze down to Pepper's beautiful gown.

Pepper clears her throat and says, "Come on, we need to leave now or else we'll be late."

Tony mock salutes.

Once on the way to the event, Tony is looking out of his window when Pepper breaks the silence. "Thank you for inviting me, Tony. You heard me say that I would love to taste Emily Addams' food, and you are giving me that chance when you could have brought someone else with you."

"It's my pleasure. You do too much for me, so if there is a way to repay you – I do what I can."

When Tony sees the gentle curve of his P.A's lips as she smiles at him, he smiles back. Pepper really does do too much for him. Things that a normal assistant would have quit the job before doing (or seeing). Tony owes Pepper, and if taking her to a charity event to taste a cook's food helps convince her to stay on his payroll – then so be it. However, when Happy drops Tony and Pepper off in front of the red-carpet, all thoughts of his beautiful assistant quickly fade away when he sees the smiling face of a certain blue-eyed pixie once he and Pepper get pass the paparazzi, inside of the building.

Some of the guests that are already inside flood towards Tony, trying to strike up a conversation (most of them being women) but Tony does something that causes those around him to stop talking- in dead silence. He ignores the dozens of beautiful women flirting with him, something that Tony Stark has never done before, and he heads towards a _waitress_. Not a model. Not an actress. Not an heiress. A _waitress_.

**[Evelyn]**

"Are you eating the Hors d'oeuvres?"

Evelyn's back stiffens. "...Mo," she answers, mouth full with food. She quickly swallows and turns towards another waitress who caught her eating the food meant for the "important" guests. "What?" Evelyn pouts. "No one else is eating them, they're shrimp balls," she tries to defend herself.

"They're not really shrimp balls," the waitress hisses.

Evelyn blinks and looks down at the round balls on her silver platter. "Really? Ohh, right. I knew that."

The waitress scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Of course you..." the woman trails off, gaping at something behind Evelyn.

Evelyn follows the waitress's gaze, and turns around. Standing behind her is the kind man whom gave her a ride to Malibu when her car broke down a few miles outside of Vegas. The one person that Evelyn is not allowed to speak to according to Emily. Ever.

"Oh, Tony, hi," Evelyn casually greets. "What are you doing here?"

"Are you nuts, Evelyn?" the waitress mutters harshly from behind Evelyn. "You can't talk to Mr. Stark like that!"

"Wha...? Why is everyone getting mad at me about you?" Evelyn questions Tony, genuinely confused.

"Maybe it's because you never called me?" Tony raises a brow and smirks.

"Oh, well, about that. You see... Emily said that I'm not allowed to have anything to do with you while I'm here on vacation."

"You're on vacation?" Tony's eyes drift down to Evelyn's waitress uniform.

Evelyn also looks at her uniform, and then back at Tony. "Yes I am," she states, chin raised high. "Emily just needed a little extra help, and I am the best big sister in the world you know. I have a coffee mug that says so."

Tony snickers. "Really?"

"It was a birthday present to me a long time ago," Evelyn replies proudly.

"Evelyn," the waitress who is surprisingly still standing behind Evelyn harshly whispers. "You're here to serve Hors d'oeuvres, not fraternize with the guests," she says and then apologizes to Tony before marching off.

"She seems... nice," Tony comments.

Evelyn shrugs and holds out her platter. "Would you like to try some shrimp balls, kind sir?" she asks with a cheesy British accent. Tony's eyes glint with amusement. "They are not meant to be confused with shrimp genitalia," she adds.

"When you put it that way..." Tony pops a shrimp ball into his mouth. "Oh, wow, that's good."

"Right?" Evelyn beams. "Emily has always been the cook in the family. I could never make up recipes."

Tony swallows his food and wipes his mouth with the napkin Evelyn offers. "So why does your sister say that you aren't allowed to have anything to do with me?"

"She told me about your reputation with women. How you seduce them into sleeping with you and then dump them like yesterdays garbage the next morning," Evelyn bluntly replies. "At first I didn't believe her since I know how rumors are sometimes just rumors, but when I tried to call you the other day – your wife answered."

"Whoa, whoa – my _wife_ answered?" Tony chokes on air. "I don't have a wife."

Evelyn's brows furrow. "But a women answered the..."

"Pepper?" Again, Tony intervenes. "She's my personal assistant."

"Ohh..." Evelyn nods, lips forming the shape of an 'o'.

"I'm perfectly single." Tony winks.

A warm, fuzzy feeling spreads throughout Evelyn's stomach and chest, and she smiles. He's doing it again. Damn, he _is_ good at this sort of thing; maybe—now that Evelyn knows Tony's not really married—she can ask him to teach her the art of seduction, so that she can be more Black Swan-e.

"You know what. Come on."

"What?"

Tony takes the silver platter from Evelyn's hands and discards it on the nearest table. Taking her hand, he doesn't even bother to hesitate to drag her out of the charity event, and casually ignores the many stares.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"Emily is totally going to kill you for abducting me from my duties of serving Hors d'oeuvres," Evelyn comments, sipping the pink wine Tony ordered for her. She keeps twisting her bottom back and forth on the spin-able bar stool she's sitting on.

After "revealing" her of her duties, Tony hailed a cab and took Evelyn to his society club, which, to Evelyn, is more like a man-cave. Older gentlemen are in expensive suits, sitting scattered around in large, overstuffed leather chairs, smoking equally as expensive cigars, either talking about business or indulging upon the half-younger women sitting on their laps. Tony and Evelyn take refuge at the corner edge of the bar, slightly hidden behind big potted plants.

"You could have stopped me," Tony replies, gulping down the remaining amber liquid of scotch from his glass.

"Hmm, true," Evelyn hums. "But when I tell her my version of the story – I did," she adds pompously.

Tony chuckles. "Okay," he nods, lifting his empty glass in the view of the bartender, "I'll back it up, just in case."

"Hey." Evelyn spins around to face Tony, but pushes herself too hard and ends up spinning around in a full 360 degree circle on the bar stool. "Can I ask you a question?"

As the bartender refills Tony's drink, Tony nods. "_You, _can ask me anything." He winks.

"How many women, on average, do you convince to sleep with you a week?" she innocently asks.

Tony chokes, mid-drink, and begins coughing hoarsely.

"Is it a lot? Like, are you good at seducing women, or are you, like, amazing at it? Because there is a difference," Evelyn continues, not realizing that her question greatly affected him.

Clearing his throat Tony questions while adjusting her tie. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, from what I can gather, you are supposedly some kind of... _doing it _God," Evelyn strains to say.

Tony raises a brow at this. Evelyn has never been able to verbally say the word Sex.

"And all women want to be with you because you're suave and incredibly charming and, of course, rich... but how do you do it? How do you seduce people?"

By now Evelyn is staring intensely in her wine glass, at the pink wine. How does one ask someone else for help in seducing people? Because, to Evelyn, judging by Tony's silence, she just ruined her one chance at learning how to become more Black Swan-e. Summing up some courage she tears her gaze away from her pink wine, to Tony. He appears to be in deep thought, and she fumbles to explain herself.

"It's just that... I need help in becoming Black Swan-e. My director says that I'm the perfect White Swan, but I'm no Black Swan. That I'm not deceiving and seductive enough." Evelyn is babbling. "And _you_ are from what I've heard. You just have this way with people that attracts all their attention to you, and I want that quality, too. If you can teach me, that means that I can finally get the lead role in a major production..."

"Wait, wait," Tony interrupts, quieting Evelyn. He stares at her as if she suddenly grew a third eye. "You want me to teach you how to become more _Black Swan-e_? Did I say that right?"

"Yes." Evelyn nods.

Tony continues to stare at Evelyn without so much as batting an eyelash. He downs his entire drink again and waves for another. "And Black Swan-e means...?" he trails off, rolling his hand towards Evelyn, gesturing that wants her to further explain.

"Oh." Evelyn perks in her stool. "To be more seductive, deceiving and manipulative; the complete opposite of the more innocent, caring and loving White Swan."

"And you're talking about the story _Swan Lake_?" he asks with a raised brow.

"M-hm." Evelyn nods.

"Dancers are doing stories now?" Tony questions, bewildered. "I never thought that you had to play roles."

Now it is Evelyn's turn to be confused. "What do you mean...?"

Without a story-line, ballet dancing would be completely useless. Beautiful; but useless.

"Nothing bad... just... I never thought that exotic dancers had roles to play. Sure, I've seen the costumes, but, they never stay on long enough for..."

"You think that I'm a stripper?" Evelyn highly shrieks, voice squeaking. She clamps her mouth shut, sucking her lips inside of her mouth, embarrassed by her outburst. Leaning in closer to Tony, she whispers, "I am not a stripper. I'm a ballet dancer."

Evelyn could have sworn that she saw disappointment briefly flash across Tony's face, but then he visibly brightens. "Ballet, huh?" he asks, mischievously. "That must mean that you're _very_ flexible." A charming, lopsided grin amplifies his handsome features.

Evelyn swoons.

"See!" she exclaims, pointing at Tony. "I want to learn how to do that. You just made me swoon – right there. Please, you have to teach me."

Tony's face twists in puzzlement. "You really want to learn how to seduce people?"

"Yes," says Evelyn. "If I learn how to seduce people, then I can ace my audition, become the Swan Princess, and then seduce the audience – thus convincing Marcus that I AM Black Swan material." Evelyn nods twice. "I think that it was fate that broke down my rental car just out of Vegas so that I could meet you and become your prodigy."

"My prodigy?" Tony mimics slowly.

"Oh... did I just freak you out?" Evelyn asks, deflated. "Oh great, now you must think that I'm one of those stupid, crazy, obsessed women."

"I've dated much worse," Tony replies, casually smiling, which soothes Evelyn. "Hmm, no one really appreciated my womanizing before. They wanted me to stop, but never teach."

"It's an art form really," Evelyn remarks, smiling.

Tony grins. "Evie, I think we're going to be seeing a lot of each other."

"Really?" Evelyn beams.

Tony holds out his hand for a shake, and Evelyn shakes it. They've just made a deal.

"So when do we start?" she asks.

"Right now," says Tony. "Pick me up."

Evelyn's brows furrow. "Well... okay, if you say so." She jumps off her bar stool and outstretches her arms. "But I have the upper-body strength of a tooth pick."

"I don't mean literally." Tony laughs, gently pushing Evelyn's arms down and back to her sides. "Here's the scenario: You walk into a bar, see a man that you're attracted to—i.e. me—and convince me to go home with you rather than the other attractive women here."

"All right." Evelyn nods. "I think that I can do that."

"Aaand – go," Tony directs..

Evelyn snaps into action, taking a few steps away from Tony. She breaths in deeply and exhales slowly, straightening out her clothes. _I can do this. Mom taught me to be an actress, too._ Spinning on the balls of her feet, refacing Tony, she "seductively" (more like awkwardly) walks up to him with one hand on her hip, and the other poised at her side, finger tips pointing straight out.

"Stop," says Tony before Evelyn even reaches him. His eyes scan her current stance, which she holds, from head to toe. "What are you doing?" He tries to force down a smile.

"I'm doing the sexy walk," Evelyn answers. "I've seen beauty pageant contestants do it for the judges on TV."

"Yeah... no. Try again."

Evelyn huffs. "Fine." She walks a few feet away from Tony, re-breaths, prepares herself again, and heads back – this time, walking normally. Amusement is clearly written on Tony's face, but Evelyn does not break her focus. Once she's close enough to him, she tries to play it cool. She firmly places her hands on her hips and leans her back against the edge of the bar. "Hey there, sailor."

"Sailor?" Tony questions, lips quirking upwards.

"Yeah." Evelyn pushes her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. "The bars my friends usually drag me to back home only have sailors."

"Ah," says Tony. "Well, here's your first tip: Not all men in bars are sailors."

"All right, my first tip!" Evelyn bounces up and down on her feet and claps joyfully.

Tony smiles. "See, now that is attractive." He points out. "Cute and adorable; traits men would want to see in a woman."

"But I already know that I'm cute and adorable," Evelyn whines, throwing her head back in exasperation. "That's the whole point in having you teach me NOT to be just cute and adorable, but hot and sexy like the Black Swan."

Again, Tony inspects Evelyn from head to toe with scrutiny. He finishes his last drink and smoothly slides off his bar stool. "Come on, I've got and idea." He places his palm on the small of Evelyn's back, and gently leads her out of the society club. Fishing out his cell phone from the inner-breast pocket of his blazer, he calls someone. "Hey, Happy, I need you to come pick me up from the society club and take me home... Pepper's still at the charity event?... Well I'm sure that she won't miss you for the next twenty minutes. I just need to get a car... ASAP Happy."

"Does this mean that I pass my first lesson?" Evelyn asks after Tony ends his call, hearing that he wanted to go to his home.

"No," Tony bluntly answers. "I just need one of my cars to take _you_ home."

"Just to let you know, I'm not sleeping with you," Evelyn responds, but when Tony flashes her an attractive grin, even _she_ begins to doubt herself.

"You said that you don't want to be cute and adorable anymore, right? Well, right now, in that uniform and with those glasses, you look cute and adorable. So before we retry the first lesson again, we need to change your look," he explains. "I need to see your closet."

"Oh." Evelyn nods in agreement. "Okay, a make-over. That sounds cool."

Soon, a black, shiny—very expensive—looking car pulls up, into the curve of the driveway. A stocky, well built man in a suit emerges from the driver's seat, and he nods to Tony and Evelyn. "Mr. Stark... Ma'am," he says while opening the back door.

"Wow," Evelyn murmurs in awe. "What kind of car is this?" she asks, sliding into the back seat of the sleek vehicle.

"It's a Rolls Royce," Tony answers, sliding in after Evelyn.

Evelyn doesn't respond, too busy running her hands along the cool, beige leather. She's never been in a car like this Rolls Royce before, and she wants to savor it. Before long—too soon in Evelyn's opinion—they arrive at a modern style home that's perched on top of a mountain side, over-looking the ocean.

"Oh my God." Evelyn presses her face against the window, no longer in awe by Tony's Rolls Royce. "Your home is amazing."

"I'll give you a tour sometime," says Tony. "But first, lets focus on your new look." The view of the house is hidden when they drive around the mountain side and turn inside of a curved tunnel. They slow to a stop in front of a garage door made entierly of glass. "Thanks, Happy. You can go back to Pepper."

"Yes, Sir."

Evelyn follows Tony out of the car. The garage door splits open down the center, and Evelyn's jaw slacks. At first the inside of the garage is dim to dark, but florescent lights blink on, revealing not only one, but _two separate_ rows of cars. A round stainless steel desk sits at the ends of the rows, and the walls are lined with shelves filled with various tools, most of which Evelyn has never seen before. Beyond the desk the rest of the garage is pitch black. Maybe the floor has those light censer things built in that turn the lights on when you walk on them? Evelyn saw a demonstration of the lights at the mall once. _If the garage looks like this, imagine what the rest of the house looks like,_ she wonders.

"Evie," Tony calls. He is standing by the same silver car that he was in when he picked her up on the outskirts of Las Vegas. It must be his favorite car to use.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"Hi, Richard." Evelyn casually waves to Richard.

He stares, open mouthed, at she and Tony as they enter the house casually.

"If you need me, Tony and I will be in my room," she says.

"I... uh... okay," Richard stammers.

Evelyn leads Tony to her room, and closes the door behind them. "Well, the closet is over there," she says, pointing to the closet on the other side of the room.

"All right," Tony claps his hands and rubs them together, "lets see what you've got."

"What happens when you find me a sexy outfit?" Evelyn plops herself down on the edge of the bed, watching Tony rummage through the guest room closet containing her clothes.

"You put it on and we give lesson number one another go," says Tony. He takes out a few items of clothing, scans them for a moment, and then hands them to Evelyn. "Here."

"You want me to try them on?" she asks.

"No, I want you to throw them out."

"What? Why? What's wrong with them?"

Tony picks out one of the dresses he handed to Evelyn to throw out, it is a red dress with white polka dots. "This looks like something Minnie Mouse would wear," he comments.

"I like Minnie Mouse," Evelyn murmurs with a pout. "Plus this goes with this cute bow I brought." Evelyn dashes over to the make-up desk that sits underneath an oval mirror. She opens the left top drawer and shows Tony the matching red bow with white polka dots.

"Key word: Cute," Tony replies. "Let me ask you one question, Evie." Tony lifts the dress into level view with Evelyn's eyes. "Do you think the Black Swan would wear this?"

Evelyn knows that she's defeated. "Well, does the closet have anything Black Swan-e?"

"No," Tony speaks honestly. "Everything is too... bright." He looks at the scattered amount of clothes that are on Evelyn's bed— yellows, pinks, purples and blues.

Evelyn blows air out from between her lips.

"And you're going to need new underwear."

Evelyn goes erect at this statement. "Why would I – are you going through my underwear drawer?" she shrieks, face heating up with embarrassment as Tony holds one of her panties in his hands. He is still looking through her bras.

"You cannot be Black Swan-e in white panties with yellow ducks on them," Tony says.

Evelyn pouts.

"Change of plans," Tony announces, glancing at his watch. "Tomorrow, I'm taking you shopping for both clothes and underwear. We'll go bright and early in case it takes all day. How about I pick you up for breakfast?"

"What time?"

"Eight decent enough for you?"

"Sounds good to me." Evelyn nods.

"Do you have contacts?"

Evelyn's nose scrunches up at the sudden change in subject. "Yes, why?"

"Wear them tomorrow," he commands. "Now get some sleep, we have a big day in the morning."

"Okay." Evelyn feels like a child by Tony's bossiness, but she walks him out to his car anyway and then watches him leave. _This is it_, she tells herself. A smile spreads across her face. With Tony's help, she'll definitely get the lead role in _Swan Lake_.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"Evelyn Marie Addams!"

Evelyn jolts up into a sitting position in bed, startled by the harsh whisper of her name and the distinct slam of her bedroom door. The light turns on, and Evelyn sharply inhales at the bright light, clamping her eyes shut.

"Emily?" she asks, groggy, barely identifying the blurriness of her sister. She reaches for and puts on her glasses that are resting on the nightstand.

"You left right in the middle of the event – and with _Tony Stark_ no less!" Emily exclaims. "I ask you for help, just this once, and you let me down."

"I'm sorry, Emily," Evelyn apologizes. "It's just..."

"No excuses," Emily snaps. She sighs and shakes her head. "I told you not to have anything to do with that scum-bag, and you go and run off with him in the middle of the night! Ah – I'm not done." Emily holds up a finger to Evelyn when Evelyn opens her mouth to defend herself. "You are acting like a total teenager, Evie, and if you want to continue to act that way – then I will treat you like one. You're grounded."

"What? Emily!" Evelyn whines. "Tony is taking me out tomorrow"

"You're not going anywhere tomorrow. Especially with Stark."

Tears begin to form at the corners of Evelyn's eyes. Emily tenderly touches her cheek.

"Oh, Evie... I just don't want you to get hurt. Tony is bad news."

"But I already told Tony that I'm not going sleep with him," says Evelyn. "He's helping me, Emily."

"Helping you how?"

Evelyn chews the inside of her cheek. "You know why I'm on this vacation, right?"

"Yeah, Marcus said you needed a break from dancing." Emily shrugs.

"Because I bugged him about not being in the upcoming production of _Swan Lake._ And he said that if I take this break, that he would let me audition for the lead role as the Swan Princess."

"That's great news, Evie!" Emily beams, hugging Evelyn.

"It is," Evelyn agrees. "Except he also said that I'm not Black Swan material. And that's why I _need_ to go out with Tony tomorrow; he agreed to teach me how to seduce the audience. I neeeed him." Evelyn flashes Emily her famous puppy dog pout.

"Evie," Emily whines.

"Pleeease, Emily." Evelyn hugs her sister's arm. "Un-ground me. This could finally be my big break. My last chance... I'm turning 30 soon."

Ballet dancers hardly ever dance professionally in their 30s, they get either fired or turn into teachers, which the last choice doesn't sound so bad. The only older dancers are famous ones, like her mother. Evelyn wants to dance forever if possible, and landing the role of the Swan Princess will definitely give her the lead she needs to survive just a little longer in the dancing community.

Emily heavily breaths out through her nose. "Fine... for mom's sake. I'm sure she would have been glad to know that at least one of us is following her footsteps."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Evelyn squeals in joy, engulfing Emily in a hug.

"But if he touches you – I'll kill him," Emily says firmly, facial expression completely serious.

Eyes wide, Evelyn can only nod in response to her sister's threat towards Tony. She reminds herself not to tell him about her sister's dislike of him tomorrow, or ever. Evelyn and Tony's arrangement is still fresh — new. Evelyn can't afford to have him break all ties with her.


	3. The Art of Seduction II: Extreme Makeove

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © __F0REVERM0RE_  
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

**Chapter Three:**  
The Art of Seduction II: Extreme Makeover

* * *

Humming '_Big Love Adagio_' by the modern classical band Bond, Evelyn dances to the the dresser in nothing but a towel. Collecting a bra and panty from the top drawer she tosses them on the bed. Just as she slides open the closet door and removes her towel, letting it fall to the floor, she trails off with her humming remembering what Tony had told her the other day: None of her clothes, or underwear, are Black Swan material. Sluggishly heading to her discarded bra and panty on the bed, Evelyn lifts them with a slight pout on her lips; she had picked the matching pair of white with yellow ducks that Tony used as a reference.

She knows that she's going out this very day to get some new clothes and underwear, but what is she going to wear for the time being? Maybe she can ask Emily if she can borrow something from her closet? Oh, wait; Emily is a size bigger than Evelyn because of her more developed... _assets_. At this thought, Evelyn peers down at her small breasts. She sighs and throws her underwear over her shoulder, back onto the bed. She has to get at least one thing done before Tony arrives to pick her up in... _20 minutes! Where does the time go?_

Evelyn rushes to the make-up desk to put on her contacts that Tony ordered her to wear instead of her glasses. She always hated the task of sticking the lens into her eye — it stings. The only reason she has the stupid things, is because she doesn't want her glasses to slip of her nose and break while in the middle of performing. Her eyes are red and watery, but the contacts are in. A chill runs down her spine, and Evelyn realizes that she is still naked. Now she's back in the dilemma of finding out what to wear to go shopping for new clothes in. Standing purposely in front of the open closet, Evelyn holds her chin in thought, eyes scanning the endless dresses or blouses, which go with skirts or leggings. Maybe she should have brought more pants?

"All right let's... _whoa_."

Evelyn gasps and dives to the floor, hiding behind the bed. "Don't you know how to knock?" she squeaks, face flushed.

"Well, yeah." A lopsided grin spreads across Tony's face. "But good thing I didn't today." He lets himself in the room, and closes the door behind him. "Why are you naked? Not that I'm complaining."

"This is all _your_ fault!" Evelyn points an accusing finger at Tony.

Tony's brow curves delicately, a sly, perverted smirk curving his lips.

"Not like that!" Evelyn stammers. "You said that both my clothes and underwear are too bright, and now I don't know what to wear," she complains.

"Ah." Tony nods curtly. He swaggers forward towards the bed, and Evelyn balls up– trying to conceal her nakedness. "What's wrong with these?" he asks, lifting the pair of underwear that Evelyn picked out earlier that morning.

Evelyn's brows furrow. "I thought you said that you didn't like the ones with yellow ducks?"

Tony sighs. "Evie, there is nothing wrong with your clothes. I" - he displays Evelyn's panty's - "would personally love to see you in these. Any man in their right mind would."

"Then why did you say that I needed new underwear?"

"Because in order to be sexy – you need to _feel_ sexy," he explains. "When you wear these, do you feel like you're the Black Swan? No," he answers for her. "You feel like the White Swan. And that is why you came to me."

Evelyn nods in agreement, and stares up at Tony, awestruck. "You are so smart," she states genuinely.

"That's why they pay me the big bucks." He winks. "Now get dressed – we're behind schedule."

Without thinking, Evelyn rises to reach for her underwear still in Tony's possession. She halts, arm already outstretched. Tony's attention is directed elsewhere from Evelyn's beet-red face.

"I never figured you for a waxer. Or do you shave?" Tony comments teasingly.

Evelyn snatches her underwear from Tony's hands, and dashes inside the small closet, sliding the door closed behind her. Tony's chuckle can be heard in the dark room as Evelyn fumbles to get dressed. After a few '_ouch_'-es and '_sweet_ _bageebus_'-es from knocking into walls, rods, or the door, Evelyn emerges from the closet, fully dressed and ready for whatever Tony throws at her. She chose to wear a plain baby-blue sundress (from what she simply tore off from the nearest hanger).

Evelyn takes a moment to scan what Tony is wearing, and she eyes him with envy. Even his plain looking clothes are designer and better than hers. He is dressed in nice-fitting jeans, a long-sleeved black shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows, and polished black sneakers.

"Are you all right? Sounded like you were having a difficult time in there," Tony speaks with clear amusement evident in his tone.

"I'm fine." Evelyn plays it cool, pushing the fact that Tony saw her naked in the back of her mind. She's sure that he saw plenty of women naked before, and probably with WAY better figures than hers.

Evelyn quickly brushes her hair up into a pony-tail with her fingers, and leads Tony out of the house. Emily, Richard and the kids probably are gone to work, or daycare in the case of the kids. Parked along the curb in front of the house is not the sleek, silver car that Evelyn has seen Tony use on two separate occasions, instead there is, as Evelyn recognizes, a black four-door Mercedes. Tony opens the passenger door for Evelyn, and while she slides in, she asks, "How long do you think we'll be out for?"

"As long as it takes," Tony simply answers, closing Evelyn's door. He jogs around the front end of the car and gets into the diver's seat, turning the key in the ignition, quickly driving off.

"And you don't have any other important things to do today?"

"Well, yeah, I probably do. But nothing I'm sure Pepper can't handle."

Evelyn brows crinkle in confusion. "So, basically, you do whatever you want — whenever you want — without much thought on your schedule?"

Tony's only response is a wink and charming grin. "Oh, right, before I forget – you left this in my car the other day." Tony hands over Evelyn's on-the-road CD in a clear case.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize that I forgot about it," Evelyn apologizes, taking the CD. She doesn't have a purse or anything to put it in, so she places it on her lap, on top of her wallet and cell-phone.

"It's fine," Tony sniffs once, stiffening.

Evelyn detects something odd in his body language. For the first time since they met, he is avoiding eye-contact. A smile slowly spreads across her face, eyebrows wiggling.

"You listened to it, didn't you?" she accuses.

"...I may have listened to a song or two..." he mumbles uncomfortably, shifting in his seat. "You know – while it was in the car. The CD player automatically plays when I turn it on."

"_Rrr_ight." Evelyn nods. "Admit it – you liked it."

"I didn't dislike it," he retorts, shrugging.

"S_ooo_, in that case..." Evelyn opens the clear case and pops in the CD in the CD player. "SHOPPING MUSIC!" she cheers, dancing in her seat when the CD begins to play '_Eat You Up_' by the Korean pop artist, BoA. "When I first saw you, I knew nothing's like it used to be. Boy, you have got to be the finest thing in history," she sings with the lyrics, playfully pointing at Tony.

He bursts out laughing. "Where on Earth do you find these songs?"

"Uh... how on Earth do you NOT know about these songs?" Evelyn retorts, staring at Tony as if he is an idiot and the answer is completely obvious.

Tony chuckles, shaking his head and turning his attention back to the road.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"I was thinking about dying my hair blonde. Blondes are sexy, right? I think I could pull it off, I mean, Emily's blonde and she's gorgeous; though she's a natural blonde, unlike me. My Mom was blonde, too..." she trails off, wondering why she came out brunette when both her mother and Emily are blonde. Was her biological father a brunette? Evelyn clears her head of the father she never knew. She once tried to ask her mother about him, but after she saw her mother's expression- Evelyn dropped the subject. Her mother looked... scared. Terrified. As if Evelyn's biological father brought nothing but bad memories.

Evelyn notices that when she stopped talking, Tony didn't seem to notice, either. He's not listening to a single word she's saying. Evelyn places her fork on her plate and scans Tony's face. His attention is fully focused on his half-eaten plate of a meat-lovers omelet with hash-browns, and his eyes appear to be glazed over, deep in thought.

"Tony? Tony, are you listening to me?" she asks.

"Hm?" Tony blinks and gazes up at Evelyn. He wipes his mouth with a napkin and throws it on his plate. "Yeah, fine. Can we have the check please," he directs to a passing waiter.

"You sure? You've been distracted ever since we got here," Evelyn presses, speaking about when they arrived at the restaurant.

Tony leans back against his chair. "It's nothing really. Pepper got mad at me for leaving her behind at the charity event last night. I've never seen her this upset with me before. Usually she just brushes it off. She knows me." He shrugs.

"Well, the best thing to do for a woman who's angry with you, is to do something nice for her. Show her that you appreciate her. We're going shopping today, why don't you buy her something nice? I'll even help you pick something out if you want," Evelyn offers.

Tony straightens up in his seat, completely interested. "What do you think I should get her?"

"Depends. What would you buy for your ex-girlfriends whenever they were mad at you?" asks Evelyn, but she's blind-sided by Tony's answer.

"I've never had a girlfriend."

Evelyn's jaw drops. "You've never – you're kidding, right? I thought you said you've dated before?"

"Yes – I've _dated_ plenty of women. Nothing serious, like with feelings and crap."

"Gee that's so sweet of you to say," Evelyn replies, voice laced with sarcasm. "But you must have some sort of feelings for your assistant if you're this upset over her being upset with you."

Tony shifts uncomfortably in his seat. The waiter comes back with the check, and Tony simply hands over a credit card. Evelyn laughs with delight.

"Aw, that's so sweet! Have you told her how you feel?" she asks.

"I do not have feelings for Pepper," Tony states firmly.

Evelyn smiles, doubtful. "Whatever you say. Either way I'll still help you find something to buy for her."

The waiter, again, comes back to the table with Tony's credit card, and Tony takes it while clearing his throat. "Our first stop is the underwear, which will be at the mall." Tony changes the subject from off his assistant.

A smile stays firmly on Evelyn's lips.

"Have you ever shopped at Victoria's Secret?" he asks.

"I get all my underwear from Wal-mart," Evelyn meekly answers, following Tony out of the restaurant. She subconsciously goes to push her glasses up the bridge of her nose, but she touches nothing but air. She forgot that she's wearing contacts.

"That... is just sad." Tony pays the valet a tip for bringing the car.

"They come three in a pack!" Evelyn tries to defend herself, climbing into the passenger's seat.

Tony gets into the driver's seat and speeds off without much concern over the building up traffic. Evelyn jerks back in her seat, clenching the sides of her seat. This is the second time that he just quickly speeds off, practically pressing on the gas petal with his entire weight.

"Don't you ever go the speed-limit?" Evelyn questions after calming down her nerves.

Tony simply arches a brow, facial expression reading — to Evelyn — that he is too good to follow the speed-limit.

"Okay then," Evelyn mutters. "Have you ever gotten a ticket for speeding?"

He snorts, laughing.

"How about an accident? Have you ever been in one before?" she tries.

Again, Tony raises a brow, like saying: 'Come on – it's me. Does it look like I've ever been in an accident before?'

Evelyn huffs. Does this guy have _any_ flaws?

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"Oh, wow, thank you. Smells wonderful." Evelyn coughs when a woman at the entrance of the lingerie store, Victoria's Secret, sprays some kind of perfume at her face. Fanning the air in front of her face, Evelyn's jaw slacks at the store dedicated to nothing but woman's intimates. Dressed on a mannequin, for all eyes to see, is a transparent, lacie pink top with a silk sown in bra, and a barely there string thong.

"Ooh, you should try these on." Tony holds into view some red transparent 'cheeky' panty's (as the sign above the station reads).

"Those are see-through," Evelyn points out. "I might as well wear nothing at all."

"Commando – I never thought about that. Good idea, Evie."

"Co-commando?" Evelyn blinks. "There's a word for wearing not panties at all?"

The sly smirk remains on Tony's face; he waves the panties in Evelyn's face.

"Give me those," she grumbles, snatching the underwear from Tony's hands.

"Wait, wait – you'll need a bra to go with that," says Tony, cupping his chin as he looks throughout the store. He struts over to a nearby station dedicated to various push-up bras, and rummages through the drawers. "What size are you? 32A?" he guesses.

Correctly, may Evelyn add.

"How did you know?" asks Evelyn, flabbergasted.

Again, Tony only smirks knowingly towards Evelyn. How does he do that? How can ONE simple quirk of his lips – tell all? Evelyn _has_ to learn!

"Try these on. We'll work off of them after we see the results." Tony presses a red push-up bra into Evelyn's arms and gently leads her, with his palm pressing against the small of her back, to the dressing rooms.

Evelyn wordlessly enters one of the unoccupied rooms, and shimmies out of her dress. There is a full-length body mirror bolted to one of the walls, and she takes a moment to stare at her reflection- at the current bra and panty she's wearing. She got the the ones with the yellow ducks on them because she thought that it was a cute set. She always buys what she thinks would look cute on her. Don't all girls? Evelyn holds up the push-up bra in front of her, eying it warily. _Well, here goes nothing._ She strips naked and changes into the nearly non-existent 'cheeky' panty's and the matching push-up bra. _Wow, I'm HUGE!_ Evelyn gawks at the dramatic change with her breasts. She went up at least 2 cup sizes.

There is muffled sounds of an argument coming from just beyond the dressing room Evelyn's in. Without warning, Tony bursts into the changing room and quickly closes the door behind him, locking it.

_I didn't know you can lock the door,_ Evelyn pouts. "What are you doing in here?" she asks Tony, wide-eyed.

"I came to see what you look like," Tony says casually. "Apparently, they don't let men back here." His eyes roam Evelyn's half-naked body from head to toe. Evelyn tries to cover herself, but Tony swats her hands away. "Relax, I've already seen you naked," he chortles. "Is that a tattoo?" He points down at Evelyn's hip bone.

Evelyn peers down at her hip, twisting her lower-half so that she can have a better look. The tattoo is small, barely noticeable from behind the see-through panty. The ink is black, and is shaped like a pentagram, except the edges are curved and then is concealed in a circle. She nods. "Yeah. I had that for as long as I can remember," she responds; which is at 13 and forward. She has no clue why she had a tattoo at 13, but like the subject of her father, it is an unspeakable matter in the Addams family.

"I never thought you to be the kind of person to have a tattoo," he replies truthfully. Shockingly to Evelyn, he kneels down in front of her so that he's eye level with her stomach. He is about to reach forward to touch the tattoo, as if transfixed, when the door opens, revealing one of the store's sales associate.

"What are you two doing in here?" the woman shrieks.

"It's not what it looks like!" Evelyn shouts, utterly embarrassed. "He was just looking at my tattoo!" _Oh God, that sounds like the lamest excuse on the face of the planet._ Evelyn just wants to face-palm herself for saying it.

"Now, Evie, there's no need to lie to the woman." Tony rises to his feet, calmly adjusting his clothes.

"I'm not lying!" Evelyn's voice squeaks.

"Oh, really," replies the sales associate in disbelief. She eyes Evelyn. Barely realizing that she's still in nothing but a bra and panty, Evelyn gasps and hides behind Tony's towering figure. Amusement is clearly written on his face, and Evelyn scowls at him. He's enjoying this!

"Mr. Stark, you are not allowed in the dressing rooms. You must leave," orders the sales associate.

"Does everyone know you?" Evelyn stares up at Tony in bewilderment.

"Uh... yeah," he states obviously. "And" - he eyes her - "we'll take it."

When Tony and the sales associate leave Evelyn alone, she heavily blows air out of her mouth and leans against the wall, slouching. She didn't know that it would be so much work learning how to become Black Swan-e. But she's not about to give up on her goal. Her entire dancing career relies on her getting the lead role as the Swan Princess.

Changing back into her own underwear and clothes, Evelyn emerges from the dressing room, but doesn't see Tony in sight. She at least thought that he would be waiting for her when she got out. With the underwear in hand, she searches the store and then finds Tony with a complimentary black shopping bad with the words VICTORIA'S SECRET in bold pink letters printed across it. Her face slacks at the sight of him rummaging through drawer after drawer of woman's intimates, tossing in whatever catches his fancy, into the bag.

"Would you like one of our complementary bags to hold you things?" a sales associate comes up to Evelyn.

"Uh... no. Looks like he already got one," Evelyn replies, still watching Tony.

"Wait... you're here with Mr. Stark?" the sales associate gawks.

Evelyn takes offense to the way the petite girl is staring at her, as if she's not good enough to even be in Tony's presence- let alone having him buy her thousands of dollars of underwear.

"Hey, Evie – how do you feel about thongs?" Tony calls from the other end of the store.

Evelyn's face heats up in embarrassment when all eyes turn to her. "Excuse me," she quickly mumbles to the awestruck sales associate still standing next to her. She rushes over to Tony, snatching the thong underwear from his hands, stuffing them back in a random drawer. "No thongs," she mumbles lowly, too embarrassed to speak any louder.

"Why not? What do you have against thongs?"

Evelyn doesn't know how to answer since she, well, never tried to wear a thong before. But what woman would even want to wear underwear that is specifically made to go up your bottom, like a permanent wedgie? Evelyn already has enough problems with her leotard going up her bum during practice or while performing – she doesn't want to worry about her underwear, too.

"You've never worn one, have you?" he smiles.

"No," she mumbles, staring down at her feet.

Tony takes the underwear that she already tried on, from her hands and puts them in the bag with whatever else he got. "Try it," he says, holding out a baby-blue string thong that oddly matches Evelyn's dress. A little heart made out of fake diamonds is glued to what little cloth there is on the front.

Evelyn nervously takes the fabric from Tony's awaiting palm.

"If you don't like it, then we don't have to buy it," he adds, most likely seeing her discomfort.

Evelyn takes in a deep breath. "For the part," she states, nodding firmly.

Tony smiles almost fondly. "You really will do anything to get this part, won't you?" he asks.

"The fate of my career is based on it," she replies.

"Well then, I will be sure to do everything in my power to help you achieve it. Without cheating of course." He winks.

Evelyn summons up whatever courage she can muster up, and marches back to the dressing rooms with her chin held high, the thong firmly clutched in her fingers.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"How does the underwear feel?"

"Kinda itchy," Evelyn answers, trying to adjust to the thong underwear that she wore out of the store (after buying them, of course). She knows that Emily wears thongs, so even though she didn't really like the feel of them in the dressing room- she has to give them a try, so she only bought one to test them out. In addition, the Black Swan would most definitely wear thongs if she were a real person, right? Besides, the push-up bra is okay, but Evelyn keeps wiggling her butt and is constantly fiddling with the panty from over the material of her dress. It feels like she has a wedgie that she can't pick; it's in too deep. "How can women wear these without itching or tugging?"

"I don't know but you need to stop walking like that," states Tony.

"I can't help it," Evelyn whiles lowly, but she does try to walk normally, for his sake. He probably never had this kind of problem with the other women he's been with out in public. "And did we really have to buy so many of them?" she complains. She will never be able to dance in itchy underwear. Evelyn shuffles the many pink bags from Victoria's Secret that she has in her possession, and she's only carrying half – Tony is carrying the rest. He really went wild with the shopping for Evelyn's intimates, like a kid in a candy shop – he bought nearly everything. They both are heading back to the car to put everything away – only to go back into the mall to buy clothes. Evelyn isn't sure that Tony brought a big enough car for all the things he's getting for her. Maybe he should have brought a moving van instead.

"You can never have too many underwear, Evie. The more the better," Tony remarks.

"You could have at least let me pay for half," replies Evelyn. "The total was nearly half a months worth of pay!"

"Money is not an issue, Evie, especially in this case. I should go to lingerie stores more often. The employees there were more than willing to service me." He grins cheekily, and pops open the trunk of his Mercedes with a simple push of a button from his car keys; he carelessly tosses in his half of the shopping bags, letting Evelyn to do the same.

"Does every woman you meet flirt with you?" Evelyn asks, noticing that all the women they passed in the mall _literally_ stopped what they were doing, and gawked at Tony as if he's some sort of Greek God.

"Pretty much," Tony says without hesitance.

"How does Pepper feel about that?"

Tony visibly tenses at Evelyn's mention of his personal assistant, and this causes Evelyn to smile. HA! He probably thought that she forgot about him confessing his feelings for his assistant.

"I'm beginning to regret ever telling you about what happened between Pepper and I this morning," Tony says, monotone.

"Well, too bad, you did." Evelyn beams and loops her arm around Tony's, patting his bicep. "And right now before we shop for some clothes, we're going to find your assistant thee perfect apology gift."

Evelyn re-enters the mall with Tony, her chin held high and mind set with a purpose: To help bring together Tony and his personal assistant, Pepper; it's the least she could do for everything Tony is doing for her. Besides, she always wanted to fix someone up before, instead of the other way around where some of her friends would try to fix her up with a complete and total stranger that is "totally awesome" and "totally your type". Does Evelyn even have a type?

"I still have no clue what to get her," confesses Tony.

"We'll start with every girl's best friend: jewelry." Evelyn weaves through the mall, trying to find a jewelry store that she spotted before Tony took her to Victoria's Secret.

"Isn't that too big of a statement?" Tony asks warily.

"Not if it's just some earrings – oh – or a bracelet; maybe even a necklace." Evelyn is too excited and tries not to bounce on the tips of her toes as she walks. "Something from the heart. To show her how sorry you feel for upsetting her." When Evelyn spots the jewelry store she saw before, she practically drags Tony inside. They are immediately approached by a salesman whom is grinning from ear to ear.

"Welcome, how may I help you?" he asks with a lot of enthusiasm; so much that even Evelyn leans away from the man.

Evelyn can feel Tony's tense muscles from her hold on him, and she tries to calm him down by gently running her hand up and down his arm. "We would like to see some of your earrings, bracelets, and necklaces, please," she says for him.

"You've come to the right place, young miss. Our diamond tennis bracelets are legendary!" The salesman flicks his hands downwards. "Follow me. My name is Steven, and I'll be helping you pick out some jewelry today."

Evelyn is about to follow Steven further inside of the jewelry store, but she doesn't get far when Tony refuses to move an inch. She gazes back at him with concern. He looks white as a sheet, and Evelyn can see the doubt in his eyes.

"Tony?" she softly calls with concern.

His eyes flicker to Evelyn. "I changed my mind. I can't do this. This is Pepper we're talking about. What if she doesn't... I can't lose her as my assistant."

"You really care about her don't you?" Evelyn states rather than questions. For some reason, she feels envy bubble deep within her stomach. "Not only personally, but professionally." No one cared about her that much before. _Must be nice._ Especially when the person that cares about you is, well, Tony Stark. And from what Evelyn has learned since being in Malibu – that's a pretty big deal. Women would probably literally kill to be in Pepper's shoes.

"She's been my assistant for as long as I can remember. I can't simply replace her," he says.

"We don't have to do anything that you don't want to. I won't force you," says Evelyn.

"I want to, but... alone." Tony's eyes flash with guilt as he stares at Evelyn.

"That's fine, in fact, I encourage it." Evelyn smiles, hoping that it will show Tony that he shouldn't feel guilty for not wanting her help. And like a snap of the fingers, Tony's mood changes. His eyes roam Evelyn's face.

"Blonde you say...?" he questions, bringing up the earlier conversation Evelyn was trying to discuss with him over breakfast. He takes a strand of her dark-brown hair into his hand. "...I've got an idea," he declares, eyes shimmering with an unreadable emotion Evelyn can't quite place.

Steven, the sales rep for the jewelry store comes up to Tony and Evelyn, a bright smile on his face. "Okay, I lined up some of our most valuable-"

"Yeah, we changed our minds," Tony interrupts. "Maybe some other time... Steven, is it?"

Steven eagerly nods. "Let me go get you my business card, for when you come back." He darts off, disappearing behind the glass counter and into another room.

Evelyn waits patiently for Steven to come back, and peers into the counter for something she might like, but before she can get a good look at anything, Tony grabs hold of her hand and drags her out of the jewelry store.

"Wai.. What about Steven?" she asks benignly, pointing over her shoulder towards the jewelry store.

"Yeah – lets be gone before he sees us," Tony responds, forcing Evelyn to jog with him because he has yet to release his grip on her hand. "Ah, here we are."

"A wig shop?" Evelyn asks after reading the name of the store.

"Wanna know if you look good as a blonde, or not?" he retorts, turning around so that he is facing her, while simultaneously walking backwards into the shop.

Evelyn doesn't hesitate to follow Tony inside of the store. She browses the rows upon rows of wigs that are placed on Styrofoam heads; the store has every style and color imaginable. She comes up to Tony, who is standing in the section dedicated to nothing but blonde wigs. And while he is looking through them, Evelyn finds herself wondering what she would look like if she had pink hair, or red hair, or blue hair; she sneaks away from Tony, and giddily bounces over to a wig that has caught her eye. It is a short bright pink bob-cut styled wig, and she removes it from its Styrofoam head. Pulling out the hair-tie, letting her hair fall free from the pony-tail, she gathers it and tucks her hair into the wig. She looks at herself in the mirror, making sure that not a single strand of her natural hair is showing. The long side-swept pink bangs brush against her eyelashes, tickling her, and causes her to sneeze.

"Bless you."

Stiffening at the sound of Tony's voice, Evelyn lifts her head and sees his reflection on the mirror; he is staring at her with a raised brow. With a guilty pout on her lips, she slowly turns around to face him, hoping that her best puppy-dog face (that has won Emily over many a time) will work on Tony. She knows that she is here with him for business reasons, and that she should probably act professional – but, come on, the wig is adorable! How could she resist?

"How do I look?" she smiles innocently, shrugging her shoulders.

"Pink," Tony answers in one word, stuffing his hands in his jean pockets.

"Good... that was the look I was looking for," she says non-too convincingly., firmly placing her hands on her hips.

He chuckles. "Here, try this on. It's the only one I could find that looks even remotely natural." He extends to her a long golden blonde wig that looks like was just yanked off Hannah Montana's head.

Evelyn takes the wig and then takes off the pink wig, turning around and properly putting it back on the Styrofoam head, fixing it so that it looks like she never touched it. She wraps her hair up, tucking it underneath the blonde wig. Staring at her reflection, she adjusts it so that it looks at least semi-natural, and then turns around to ask Tony for his opinion.

"Oh my God," she stammers, startled. She covers her hand with her mouth, desperately trying to hold in a laugh.

"How do I look?" Tony asks, trying to brush aside some long brown strands of fake hair, but fails miserably- only succeeding in tangling it further. "How can you woman stand to have all this hair?" he asks, trying to untangle his fingers from the hair. He spits, hair having somehow gone into his mouth.

Giggling, Evelyn helps Tony fix the wig so that it is properly on. "You look... so good," she lies through her teeth, biting her bottom lip, still trying to stop herself from laughing. "You should think about growing it out now." She nods repeatedly.

"Think so?" asks Tony.

No longer being able to contain herself, Evelyn bursts out laughing. "Noooho-ho-ho," she manages to say through her laughter, shaking her head and holding her stomach. "You lo-look ridiculous. Ha-ha-ha-HA!" She has never laughed so much in her entire life. "Wait, wait, I have to get a picture of this," she says, preparing the camera on her cell-phone. "Say Cheese," she sings.

Tony puckers his lips, posing for the camera. Evelyn takes the picture, giggling. She trots up to him, showing him the picture that she just took.

"Wow." He flips the hair of the wig over his shoulder. "I look good. I should buy this."

Quieting down her laughter, Evelyn saves the picture on her phone and tucks it underneath her arm with her wallet so that her hands are free for use. When she looks up, she realizes how close she stood to Tony in order to show him the picture; they are separated by mere inches. Her cheeks flush red, and she gulps. "So... what do you think?" she asks just above a whisper, playing with the ends of the blonde wig. "Should I go blonde?" _His eyes are so... brown. Like a swirl of brown and golden brown._

Tony's eyes roam her face. He takes off Evelyn's blonde wig, letting her natural dark-brown locks tumble down, cascading around her shoulders. "Nah," he says. "You look better with your natural hair."

"...Okay..." Evelyn breaths, heart pounding in her chest. _Why isn't he stepping back? Wait... why is he coming closer?_ Evelyn's lips part in an attempt to say something, but no words come out. _He smells so good..._ she notes the closer Tony gets.

"Can I help you guys?"

Evelyn's head snaps back, away from Tony – and he, vise versa. Both heads turn to an brooding looking teenage girl, eying the two of them with clear annoyance. Her own hair is the darkest shade of blue that Evelyn has ever seen, matching the color of her lipstick, and she has at least ten piercings on her face alone.

"...Or should I leave you alone so you can go back to making out?" she adds irritably.

"Oh... we... no... we weren't... we were just..." Evelyn just hands the girl the blonde wig, deciding to stay quite. She does what Tony did to get away from Steve the Jeweler, she reaches for Tony's hand, and runs out of the wig store, dragging him along with her.

"Hey, wait!" the wig girl shouts.

Evelyn stops running and lets go of Tony's hand. "Whoosh, that was close," she sighs in relief, wiping away the imaginary sweat from her brow.

"Uh... Evie?" Tony calls.

"Hm...? Oh my God." She clamps her hand over her mouth, again. She had dragged Tony out of the store while he is still wearing the shoulder length brown wig. She laughs through her fingers.

"Hey!" the wig girl snaps, running up to them. "You can't just..." she yanks the wig off from Tony's head, and when she sees him without the wig on, she drops it on the floor. "Holy shit," she curses. "I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't realize that it was-"

"It's no problem," Tony interrupts. He fishes out his wallet from his pocket and gives the girl money without looking to see which bill he gave her. "For your troubles," he adds.

"Fuck yeah," she cheers. "Thank you, Man."

Tony and the girl fist-bump, and the girl heads back to the store. Evelyn watches the interaction in fascination; he looks so natural. He's such a people person. Evelyn has been told that she's a people person too, but in a cute people-can't-NOT-like-her kind of way. Tony seems to be just genuinely likeable.

"What?" Tony asks after seeing Evelyn's awestruck face.

"I'm totally getting that part," she murmurs seriously, nodding.

Tony winks. "I know. I'm awesome."


	4. Quite a Day For Evelyn Marie Addams

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © __F0REVERM0RE_   
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

**Chapter Four:**  
Quite a Day For Evelyn Marie Addams

* * *

"I can't believe you're going out with Tony, again. I actually think that this is the longest time he's ever been seen with the same woman," Emily remarks. She is sitting on Evelyn's bed, flipping through the latest issue of People Magazine. She is suppose to be helping Evelyn chose one of her new, many "seductive" outfits that Tony bought her to wear on their next outing- and Evelyn's re-try on lesson one: "Picking" Tony up.

"Listen to this," says Emily. "Tony Stark surprised guests attending a local charity event for animal awareness by showing up with his personal assistant, Virginia 'Pepper' Potts as his plus one. Thus sparked the rumor of an affair between employer and employee. However, the rumor was quickly extinguished when, at the same event, Mr. Stark left with another, unknown, woman. AHH, look at this picture of you two, Evie! ...Hm, maybe I should have put my logo on the uniform," she mutters to herself. "And, on the same note, Tony and the same woman have been spotted together on separate occasions. Who is this woman, and what is her relationship with the world's number one bachelor?" Emily continues. "Wow, Evie. You're in Malibu for three days, and already you somehow nabbed one of the richest men in the world."

Evelyn glances at her sister's reflection on the mirror. She turns around and places her hands on her hips. "Emily, you're suppose to be helping me get dressed, not reading People Magazine."

"I can't help it! You're on the dang cover." Emily closes the magazine shut and shows Evelyn the cover. She is right. On the cover of the magazine is a clear-as-day picture of Tony and Evie "sneaking" out of the charity event. "Do you know how much publicity I can get if people find out who you are?"

"Emily!" Evelyn gasps. "My seeing Tony isn't about your business, it's about me finally catching my big break."

"Gee, sorry, how selfish of me," Emily sarcastically replies.

"Besides, Tony and I are jut friends. Now do what you said you would do and help me," Evelyn demands. "How does this outfit look?" She twirls in a circle, modeling the outfit for Emily. She is dressed in a tight fitting black dress, a color that she hasn't really worn before; the straps are thick, and the helm reaches a good six inches above her knees.

"I like it – shows that you actually have curves." Emily nods. "What are you going to do with your hair though?"

"You don't think that I should keep it down?" Evelyn asks, touching the ends of her hair. "I was thinking about curling it a bit."

"You always wear your hair down. Why don't you do something different? Sit down," Emily orders, pointing to the stool in front of the make-up desk.

Evelyn complies.

"Let me work my magic," says Emily. "When I'm done with you, even you won't even recognize yourself."

"Is that a good or bad thing?" Evelyn questions warily, feeling Emily tug at her hair.

"We'll just have to wait and see now won't we?" replies Emily, her tone light and cheery.

About 30 minutes pass before Evelyn can move on her own accord, and not on Emily's orders. She looks at her reflection, and smiles. Emily had pulled her hair back into a bun but left two strands loose and curled at the sides of her face, and her bangs are straight and brushed to the side, appearing smooth a silky. Before she began getting dressed, Evelyn had put in her contacts, and Emily applied some make-up that make Evelyn's blue-eyes really _pop_. Emily is right. Evelyn can hardly recognize herself, and is in awe. She looks like she just stepped out of a magazine!

"Wow, Emily, you did an amazing job!" Evelyn gushes and tightly embraces her sister. She breaks away and asks, "How did you learn how to do this stuff?"

"Well, while you were busy at the Performance Art Academy, I was taking cosmetology classes at _normal_ high-school," Emily proudly states.

Evelyn smiles. "Thank you, Emily."

"You're welcome, Evie. Anything for you."

There are three quick knocks on Evelyn's bedroom door before Richard opens it. "Uh, Evie, Mr. Stark is here," he announces.

Evelyn glances at her reflection again and snatches up the small purse that Emily let her borrow to "complete" her outfit of choice. "Wish me luck," she says to both Emily and Richard. "This will be my first big step in learning how to be the Black Swan."

Emily opens her mouth to speak, but is interrupted when Tony casually strolls into Evelyn's room. "What's the hold up in here?" he asks. His attention turns to Evelyn, and his face visibly slacks.

Evelyn becomes self-conscious. "What? What's wrong with me? Is it my hair? Dress? Make-up?"

Tony blinks, coming out of a daze. "Oh, no, you're... fine," he replies, his eyes trailing up and down Evelyn's body.

"Psh, I'm glad that you're comfortable enough with my sister to barge in without an invitation, Mr. Stark," Emily says irritably. She is eying Tony with obvious distaste.

"I'm sorry – have I upset you?" asks Tony to Emily. His eyes glint with some sort of emotion that Evelyn can't quite place, and his lips quirk upwards. "If so, I apologize."

"Ooh, I can tell you're just _oozing_ with sympathy," Emily shrewdly retorts.

"Emily," Evelyn harshly whispers, staring sternly at her sister. She can't let Emily ruin her only chance at success if she rubs Tony the wrong way, to where he refuses to help Evelyn.

Emily huffs and crosses her arms over her chest. "Sorry," she apologizes to Tony. "But my earlier statement to Evelyn still stands: If you do her wrong – I'll kill you."

"Emily!" Both Richard and Evelyn gawk.

"Duly noted." Tony clears his throat. He switches his gaze from Emily to Evelyn. "Ready to go? I made reservations for seven."

"Yeah, let's go." Evelyn nods.

"Whoa, whoa – hold up there. Reservations?" Emily steps between Evelyn and Tony, but her attention is firmly on the CEO of Stark Industries. "I was under the impression that you're not trying to pursue my sister," she declares and then sharply spins around so that she's facing Evelyn. "Did you lie to me?"

"No!" replies Evelyn, panicked.

Tony somehow wedges himself between Evelyn and Emily. "Uh, Emily, right?" he asks, but doesn't wait for Emily to answer. "I can assure you that nothing is going on between your sister and I. Not that I haven't tried," he comments. "Well, I guess when I really think about it – I really haven't tried..." Tony trails off, appearing to go into deep thought.

"Not helping, Tony," Evelyn sighs, gently pushing Tony out of her room. "Be back later, Emily– bye, Richard!"

"Bye, Evie," Richard is the only one to respond.

Evelyn and Tony are almost to the front door, when a tiny voice causes both of them to stop. "Aunt Evie, Aunt Evie," Samantha, Evelyn's niece calls out for Evelyn. The four-year-old darts in the path of Tony and Evelyn, and stares up at Tony with wide curious brown eyes. "Are you going to be my new uncle?" She benignly asks.

Evelyn's jaw slacks, words refusing to come out of her mouth. Has she really forgotten how to use the English language in a time span of two seconds? Feeling her face and neck heat up in embarrassment, Evelyn smiles nervously, trying to win the inner-battle she seems to be having with her mouth, which is refusing to speak.

"Uh..." Tony trails off and glances at Evelyn, and then back to Samantha. "No, little girl, I'm not," Tony answers slowly and cautiously.

"Why not?" Samantha lightly tilts her head to the side, clutching the panda bear she has in her grasp, tighter. She's practically choking the poor stuffed animal.

Evelyn can tell that Tony is uncomfortable, and that she needs to save him from her four-year-old niece; she moves around him so that she can kneel in front of Samantha. "Sammie, Sweetie, shouldn't you be in bed right now?" she asks, tone raspy. She clears her throat. Finally she can speak!

"Yes." Samantha pouts.

"Then go before I tell your mother," orders Evelyn.

"Okay." Samantha frowns. "Goodnight, Aunt Evie."

"Goodnight, Sweetie." Evelyn returns Samantha's brief hug and watches the little girl run off towards her room. "Sorry about that," Evelyn apologizes to Tony, embarrassed. "Quick, let's go before Danny learns how to walk and talk," she whispers, leading Tony out of the house with rushed steps.

Pulled up along the curb is the silver Audi that Evelyn learned the model of from asking Richard (a man). Tony opens the passenger door for Evelyn, and closes it behind her once she's in. Soon they're on the road to whatever place Tony made reservations at; Evelyn gazes out of the window at the passing scenery. She has been in Malibu for three days and she has yet to actually go anywhere, like, sight-seeing. She's been too focused on preparing for the upcoming audition for _Swan Lake_.

Evelyn sighs and faces Tony. "Are we going to try lesson one again?"

"Bingo." Tony nods, pulling into a curved entry way for valet parking.

Looking out of the window, Evelyn attempts to read the name of the restaurant, but can't because it is in French. The valet opens the car door for Evelyn, and he nods politely at her after she steps out. Tony meets Evelyn at the front entrance of the restaurant, and he holds out his elbow so that she can loop her arm with his. Entering the restaurant, within seconds the host greets Tony by name and smiles at Evelyn, leading the pair to an intimate table set up for two with an awaiting waiter. Tony orders a bottle of wine, and the waiter heads off. At the courtesy of the restaurant's employees, Evelyn grins at Tony.

"This place looks amazing!" she says after the waiter is gone. "It must cost a fortune to eat here."

Tony shrugs carelessly and leans against the table's surface, propping his elbows on the surface. "So, how do you feel?" he asks.

"I feel great," Evelyn answers truthfully, unable to contain another smile from spreading across her face. "I feel... different. Like I can do anything." She gazes at Tony with pure happiness. "I couldn't have done this without you, Tony. Thank you," she says genuinely.

"You're welcome, Evie." Tony smiles back. "I can honestly say that it has been my pleasure to help you. If I could, I would help more women in need of my services." He winks.

Evelyn laughs and shakes her head. "How did you learn to be so charming? Oh, wait, probably from your dad, right?"

When Tony's smile falters, his eye dim and lose their certain glint. Evelyn frowns as well. Did she say something wrong? ...Oh... Stupid Evelyn, stupid! She shifts uncomfortably in her seat. She shouldn't have just assumed that Tony and his father are the best of buds. Dang, she ruined the once joyful mood.

"...I never knew my father," she suddenly babbles, eyes focused on the elaborate design of white table cloth. "I don't remember anything from before I was 13. My Mom told me that it was best that I don't remember, but, I can't help but still wonder. The only man who I guess was like a father to me, was my step-dad; Emily's real father. But he didn't like me very much." Evelyn shrugs. "Actually, he didn't like me at all. He kept telling my Mom that she should have left me in the hospital." She exhales heavily. "They divorced when I was 15." Evelyn gazes up at Tony, and sees that he's staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face. She smiles at him weakly. She never told anyone about her past. The only person who knows is Emily; not even Richard or the kids know.

The waiter comes back to the table with the wine bottle Tony ordered, and pours some in two glasses.

"Are you ready to order, Mr. Stark?"

Tony doesn't even look at the waiter, and keeps his gaze on settled Evelyn. "No. Give us a moment, will ya?"

"Of course, Sir." The waiter nods deeply and walks off.

Tony continues to stare intensely into Evelyn's eyes. "Why did you tell me that...?" he questions softly.

Evelyn licks her lips, her mouth suddenly becoming very dry. "Well, when I mentioned your father, I noticed that your smile dropped a bit, and I thought that I should say something about my father ..._step-father_ ...too."

Tony looks into his wine glass, and takes a sip. "You noticed my_ smile _drop?" he mumbles.

Evelyn nods even though Tony isn't looking at her.

"...You really don't remember anything from before you were 13?" he asks, obviously wanting to change the subject.

Evelyn shakes her head.

"And your mom never told you?"

Again, Evelyn shakes her head, but this time she adds a shrug.

"What about Emily?"

"She, too. I guess she promised my Mom that she wouldn't say anything," Evelyn answers.

Tony and Evelyn stare into each others eyes for a moment, and Evelyn bits her bottom lip as her cheeks flush red, and she smiles. The corners of Tony's eyes crinkle when he smiles back, and he drinks more of his wine gesturing for the waiter to come back.

"Let me order for you," he says. "I think you'll like this certain dish the chef makes."

"Okay." Evelyn nods, because if the name of the restaurant is in French, she is sure that the menu is in French, as well.

When the waiter comes by, and Tony begins speaking in fluent French, Evelyn openly stares at the amazing man sitting across from her. She only knew Tony for three days, but the time she spent with him roused something deep within her that she has never felt before. Feels kind of funny. She can't stop smiling; she can't stop staring; she can't stop the warm feeling in her chest and belly. Everything Tony does is brilliant to her. He's smart, charming, has a great sense of humor, and handsome – the list goes on. Evelyn has never met anyone like him before.

...Tony Stark is memorable...

"So – how did the thong feel?" Tony jests, wiggling his eyebrows.

Evelyn's face turns sour. "I don't understand why women think wearing those things makes them sexy," she complains. "I felt like I had a permanent wedgie. But every time I picked, there was nothing to pick. That or it just went right back up my butt," she scoffs, shaking her head.

Tony bursts out laughing.

"It's not funny!" Evelyn whines.

"Only you, Evie, have the guts to speak the way you do," Tony snickers.

Evelyn's brow furrows. "I don't know what you mean," she responds.

"You're so blunt. You're so honest. And you don't care what people think. That's a rare quality," he remarks, drinking from his wine.

"Is that a bad thing?" she asks, suddenly feeling nervous.

"I don't think so," he replies genuinely. "It's actually quite refreshing. My whole life I had people suck up to me; even Pepper was nothing but a pleas-er when she first started working for me. So, by all means, don't be afraid to speak your mind around me."

Evelyn smiles. "Roger that." She mock salutes.

The corner of Tony's eyes crinkle when a charming smile graces his features. Evelyn's smile falters as she falls into a light trance by the sheer warmth and honestly on his face. He is... Tony. Her smile reforms when she breaks her trance, and opens her purse. Clearing her throat, she takes out a folded up piece of paper and unravels it.

"Okay, I looked up on the internet '15 questions you should ask on a first date'-"

"First date?" Tony interrupts.

Evelyn looks up from the paper and sees that Tony's eyebrows practically shot up to his hairline. "Well, I thought that you said that I have to pick you up so that you come home with me than any other girl here." Evelyn's brows furrow.

"Oh... right." It is Tony's turn to clear his throat. He snatches the paper from Evelyn's grasp, crumples it, and carelessly tosses it to the side. "We'll just wing it."

"Should you have just thrown it like that...?" Evelyn points in the direction the paper went.

Tony simply shrugs in response. And Evelyn raises a brow. Did he nearly freak out when she mentioned First Date? Does that mean that even if he wasn't helping her in her pursuit to become more Black Swan-e, she would never ever get a first date with Tony Stark? Evelyn licks her lips, her mouth suddenly becoming dry, and she rubs her nose. The news that Tony could never envision himself on an actual date with her makes her feel... stupid. Stupid to actually think that a guy like him would be interested in a girl like her. Forcing herself out of her own thoughts, Evelyn just tries to focus on the task on hand, and puts on a fake smile, hoping that it will fool Tony into thinking that she is fine.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

Tony walks Evelyn to Emily's front door, and they're both laughing at one of Evelyn's memories from dancing for the company in New York. Tony's blazer is draped around Evelyn's shoulders because the night air turned crisp when they left the restaurant. She had a great time with Tony, after she got over the fact that she has no chance with him (Which, in a way, is completely true, so why did she even think that she did?). They talked for what felt like hours - Tony was telling Evelyn of his many _rendezvous_ with women, and Evelyn was telling him about some of her misfortunes while performing. They seemed to forget all about teaching Evelyn how to become more Black Swan-e. They were just having fun.

"I'm serious!" Evelyn laughs. "My leotard split right down the middle- showing off my underwear, but I didn't stop dancing. I didn't want to stop the show."

"I definitely need to see you dance," Tony declares. "When does _Swan Lake_ take the stage?"

"Well, after the auditions that are in a little over a month, and the rehearsals that last about another two months... so ...about four to five months," Evelyn calculates.

"I'll be there front and center," Tony replies, saluting.

The thought of Tony watching her perform, excites Evelyn. "Really? You'll come to see me on stage?"

"I need to see my prodigy at work." He winks.

Evelyn doesn't know what is coming over her; it is as if her body has a mind of its own - she leans in towards Tony for a kiss, forgetting about her earlier thoughts about never standing a chance with this amazing man. The moment is interrupted when Tony pulls out a small box from his pocket. Evelyn gapes down at the box, and her heart pounds in her chest; she literally stops breathing when Tony opens it, revealing a stunning diamond bracelet.

"Oh... my... God..." she murmurs, taking the box from Tony's hands. "This is beautiful, Tony!"

"You think so?" he asks.

"Of course! What woman wouldn't love this?"

"So you think Pepper will like it?"

At the sound of Pepper's name, Evelyn's little bubble of happiness and bliss bursts, causing reality to smack her across the face. This beautiful bracelet isn't meant for her, it is meant for Pepper, Tony's assistant. She should have known. Of course this beautiful present is for Pepper; Tony said that he was going to get her something as an apology gift, and Evelyn was the one to recommend jewelry. Evelyn forces a smile on her lips, and she nods. "I'm sure she'll love it." She hands the box back to Tony and then shrugs off his coat. "Well, I better go in before Emily thinks the worst," she weakly chuckles. "I'll see you later, I guess."

"I have a few meetings tomorrow, but I can see you the day after," says Tony, taking his coat from Evelyn. "You're doing a great job so far, Evie. That part is as good as yours."

Evelyn wordlessly nods, simpering. "Well... goodnight." She holds out her hand for a handshake.

Tony raises a brow at this, but nonetheless, shakes Evelyn's hand. He pulls her forward, though, and gently plants a kiss on her cheek.

"Goodnight, Evie."

Evelyn giggles. "Goodnight," she repeats with a wide, goofy smile. She moves to head inside of the house, but collides with the closed door. Blinking away the tingling pain in her face, she pretends to laugh it off. "Goodnight," she says once more and then _turns_ the doorknob, entering the house and quickly shutting the door behind her. Leaning against the door, she lightly smacks the back of her head against the hard surface. She slowly inhales and exhales, closing her eyes. What is she doing? She knows her arrangement with Tony...

...But she can't help herself. The reason why she asked him to help her become more Black Swan-e, is the reason she is becoming too attached. He just has this aura that makes her melt. Shaking her head clear of her thoughts, Evelyn quietly heads to her room, trying not to wake anyone in the house. Softly closing her bedroom door behind her, she hears a loud, solid thump. Perplexed as to where the noise came from, since she made extra sure to close her door softly, Evelyn scans her room, trying to pin-point the location where she heard the noise. She finds the closet door cracked open slightly. Did Emily not close it all the way?

Heading over to the closet, Evelyn places her hand on the small knob to shut it, but something from within the closet catches her eye. Sliding open the door, she sees that a box has fallen on top of her clothes, tilted to where it is nearly going to tip over and spill all of it's contents on the floor. Evelyn takes the box and pushes it back into the attic space.

Wait. Attic space?

_I didn't know Emily has an attic space,_ Evelyn states to herself. _Unless she doesn't know about it, either. _Evelyn takes the box, thinking that it could possibly belong to the past residents that once owned the house, and she places it neatly on her bed. She stares up into the small square space that leads up to the attic of the house, wondering what else could be in there. However, she decides that she is tired and wants to go to bed. Maybe she'll take a look tomorrow since she doesn't have anything planned.

Changing into her nightgown, Evelyn sneaks to the bathroom to brush her teeth, take out her contacts, and wipe her face clean of all the make-up Emily smeared on her face. Tip-toeing back to her room, she again softly shuts the door and crawls onto the bed. She drags the box close to her and opens it. Inside is a single journal.

"Big box for a small journal," Evelyn mumbles, but nevertheless, takes the journal out.

Pushing the empty box off of the bed, Evelyn gets comfortable underneath the sheets. She opens the small black journal to the first entry.

_13 April 1942_

_I just got hired to be a back-up dancer to none other than Captain America! I think my luck has finally begun to change. Just think about it – a back-up dancer with Captain America today, and on Broadway tomorrow. Soon everyone will know the name Barbra Addams, and come from miles around just to see me perform._

"Barbra Addams...?" Evelyn stops reading, murmuring the name. This is her mothers journal. Evelyn didn't know that her mother danced with Captain America; she never mentioned it. If Evelyn ever danced for someone as big as him, she would have definitely bragged about it to all her children. Evelyn pushes her glasses further up her nose, and continues to read her mother's journal.

_I haven't actually met this Captain America guy, but he's in all of the papers – cute, too. Tall, muscular and exactly the guy that every woman dreams of marrying, Maybe once we begin the tour, I can convince him to have me on his arm. We would be the perfect couple – he the face of America, and I the starlet of Broadway. Hopefully the guys who hired me don't find out that I lied about my age during the audition. They called for girls over eighteen, and I'm only sixteen. But Mama and Pa won't mind, though. I'm sure that once I make it big, they'll forgive me for leaving. I'll be able to buy them a nice, big house, and they'll never have to work another day in their life. I'll take care of them. _

_Well, I got to get packing. The train leaves tomorrow at 8-o'clock sharp. Don't wanna be late._

_-Barbra._

"Mom ran away from home when she was 16?" Evelyn wonders out loud. She never knew that, either. How many other secrets has her mother been keeping from her? Sure Evelyn doesn't remember anything from before she was 13, but that doesn't mean that she couldn't know more about her own mother.

Turning to the next entry, Evelyn continues reading her mother's thoughts from years ago, before her daughters were born, and, apparently, before she got married to Evelyn's step-father.

_23 April 1942_

_Our first show was today, and it was spectacular. I feel on top of the world on the stage. I feel as if I can do anything. All the claps, the applause from the audience is addicting and a sound that I will never forget. Of course most of the attention was on Captain America, Steve, he told me his name is, but some of the fellas in the audience were giving me and the other girls The Look. _

_On the note of Steve, I tried flirting with him, but apparently I wasn't the only one who had the intention of having him as a boyfriend. Some of the other girls whom didn't have boyfriends waiting for them back home, tried flirting with Steve, too. And those girls are older than me. They have more experience, while the furthest I ever went with a boy was letting Nelson feel me up underneath the bleachers at the football field. However, Steve is really nice. Too nice, really. He's not my type. I want someone who is assertive. Who knows how to treat a woman. Someone who can take care of me and my needs._

_Tomorrow we are back on the road, going to another town. I will never tire of this gig._

_-Barbra_

_2 May 1942_

_Show is over. Steve went missing and never showed up for the show, and it was canceled. Everything was canceled. The producers told the other girls and I to go home, but I don't want to go home. I left home for this job, hoping that it would help me get my big break. New York was the next stop. Surely somebody would have noticed me there, I just know it! Why couldn't have Steve shown up for curtain? He ruined everything!_

_15 June 1942_

_I miss Ma. I miss Pa. I should have went home, but I just couldn't face them. I wanted to go home a huge Broadway dancer. I wanted to go home a star. But right now that doesn't seem like it would ever happen. I work at some bar selling smokes to whomever is interested. I can barely afford this crap hole I share with Molly, one of the other dancers whom didn't go home either. She's older than me by a few years, and said that she reminds me of her little sis that she left back home; I forget what she told me her name was._

_-Barbra_

_17 June 1942_

_I now know what hell must be like._

By that short entry of a single sentence, Evelyn feels her heart and stomach drop. Her mother went through a lot before she finally did make the big times. And know Evelyn knows how much harder it could have been for her if her mother hadn't given her a head start in dancing by giving her the name Addams. Evelyn is living off of her mother's name; her mother's fame. Imagine if Barbra Addams wasn't her mother. She probably wouldn't be where she is now. She probably wouldn't even have been allowed in the Performance Arts school that was known for its high tolerance in performers.

Evelyn turns to another entry.

_23 July 1942_

_I think this is it. I think I finally got my big break! A man came up to me... Wow. I actually forgot his name. How could I forget his name? He's the one who's gonna help me make it big. Oh well, I'm suppose to meet him again tomorrow at the bar, so I'll learn it again. And he chose me of all people! ME. Even over Molly, who is more experienced than I am! I am excited!_

_World, here I come!_

_-Barbra_

Evelyn smiles at the excited and rushed entry. Her mother was finally catching a break, just like Evelyn will once she aces those auditions. She turns to the next entry, expecting to hear more of her mother's exited words, but finds something scribbled in a foreign language that she doesn't recognize. Flipping through the rest of the journal, she also discovers that it is the last entry, too.

"Odd," she utters, perplexed. She inspects the foreign words, trying to decipher them in her head, and when it doesn't make any sense, she begins to speak them out loud.

"_Potestatem Drusilla surgunt._

_Cursum inuise trans aethera._

_Venite ad me, ad te clamo._

_Et sede hic venit ad me_."

An electrical surge brightens the lights to near blinding, and Evelyn has to clamp her eyes shut in order to shield them to the harsh lighting, but even from through her closed eyelids, her eyes feel like they are burning.

(_Snap_!)

The light bulb in both the lamp on the nightstand and the one in the ceiling fan burst, shattering into pieces and raining down on Evelyn and the bed like sharp, cold rain. Evelyn's body stings in pain, and it feels as if the electrical surge traveled throughout her body, as well – everything tingles.

"AHH!" multiple high pitch screams fill the once quite night air, and Evelyn throws off the covers, running out of her room. She sees Emily run out of hers and Richard's room, towards Samantha's and Danny's. Richard comes soon after with a flashlight.

"Evie?" He calls out to Evelyn, aiming the beam of light towards her. "You all right?" he asks, breathless. Evelyn can tell that he is also freaked out by what happened.

"What was that?" Evelyn asks, shielding her eyes from Richard's flashlight.

"Some kind of electrical surge. I'm going to check the fuse box," he replies, walking past her and in the direction of the garage.

Evelyn lets Richard do his own thing, and she pads over to Danny's room where she last saw Emily go into. Wincing and hissing in pain, Evelyn lifts up her foot and sees tiny shards of glass embedded in her feet. Looking up towards the ceiling, she discovers that the hallway lights also shattered. She gulps deeply. Could it have been because she spoke those weird words out loud? What could they possibly mean?

"Ah!" Evelyn cries out, holding her stomach. She falls to her knees, and compared to the burning sensation she feels at her side, the shards of glass embedding into her knees feel like nothing.

"Evie!" Richard kneels down by Evelyn's side to see if she is okay. "What's wrong?"

"My side," Evelyn hisses. "My side – it burns."

"Let me see, let me see." Richard lifts Evelyn's nightgown, not at the moment caring about seeing her in her underwear. "...Holy crap... What is that?"

Evelyn panics. "What? What is it? What do you see?"

"Your tattoo... it's glowing."

"What?" Evelyn gasps. "That's impossible."

"No, Evie. It's _glowing_," Richard stresses. "I think we have to take you to the hospital."

At the mention of the hospital, the burning sensation in Evelyn's side dissipates. She peers down at her tattoo, and moves Richard's hand out of the way so she can have a better view. The ink fades from a deep crimson, back to black. She meets Richard's gaze, matching his look of puzzlement.

"Is everyone all right?" Emily asks, breaking the silence.

Evelyn snaps her attention up at her sister, letting her nightgown fall back to her knees. She rises to stand, next to Richard.

"What's going on?" Emily gazes back and forth from Richard to Evelyn. "Oh my God, Evie, your knees!" she shouts, pointing to Evelyn's knees.

Evelyn looks down, and sees that blood is trickling from various places on her knees, streaming down her leg. She lets Emily drag her over to the kitchen, where she keeps the first-aid kit in one of the drawers. Emily places Evelyn down on one of the chairs, and begins removing the shards of glass from her knees; Richard is holding the flashlight, remaining quite.

"Did you check the fuse box?" Emily questions Richard, preoccupied with Evelyn's knees.

"The fuses are fried. Everything is fried," Richard answers.

"Are the other houses out?" asks Emily.

"I don't know, I didn't check," he answers.

"Go check, I've got this," Emily commands, taking the flashlight from Richard and handing it over to Evelyn. "Hold this."

Evelyn does as told, and Richard leaves to go outside to see if the neighbors experienced the same electrical charge they did. If they did, then that means that it wasn't Evelyn's fault that the lights went out the way they did – it was something else. Something logical. Something rational.

"You all right?" Emily asks.

"...Fine..." Evelyn murmurs, still freaked out about what she read off her mother's journal.

"All right, then this might sting a little." Emily dabs Evelyn's knees with rubbing alcohol and then tightly bandages them up.

"...Everyone else is fine," Richard announces, coming back into the kitchen.

Evelyn's face goes ashen, and her stomach drops. So this is all her fault...? God, what did she do?


	5. The Art of Seduction III: Confidant

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © __F0REVERM0RE_  
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

**Chapter Five:**  
The Art of Seduction III: Be My Confidant

* * *

Evelyn is startled awake by the high-pitched scream of Danny. She panics. Is someone in the house? Did another bizarre occurrence happen while she was sleeping? Stupid! She shouldn't have read strange text that was in a strange language out loud. Has she learned _nothing_ from watching all those horror movies? No sooner did Evelyn think this thought, Emily's stern and motherly tone tells Danny to behave because aunt Evie is still sleeping.

The tension building in Evelyn's shoulders fades away at Emily's voice. So everything is fine? Pushing her upper-body up so that most of her weight is held up by her arms, Evelyn finds herself on the floor in her room, tucked safely at the corner. How did she end up there? She could have sworn that she fell asleep in her bed. Evelyn to rise to her feet, and she quickly grabs everything she needs for a much needed shower and escapes the dark aura filling her room.

Turning on the water to let it heat up, Evelyn sits on the toilet -lid, staring down at her bandaged knees. A frown is on her lips. She slowly and carefully swings her legs forward and backwards, trying not to be bothered by the light stinging of pain coming from underneath the tightly wrapped bandages. She desperately hopes that this injury doesn't disable her from dancing.

_It's only a few cuts,_ she tries to comfort her rushing thoughts. _They'll heal over in no time. They weren't even that deep._ Evelyn slowly peels off the bandages so she can properly take a shower. The cuts she had received from the glass on the floor have scabbed over and appear to be healing rather quickly- quicker than expected.

Hot steam spreads throughout the bathroom, and the water pouring from the shower-head stings briefly against Evelyn's pale skin.

Today she will have the day to herself, as Tony said that he will be busy. Evelyn wonders if the reason for him being "busy" the day after he showed her the diamond bracelet is because of Pepper. Is he devoting this entire day to his assistant? Evelyn shakes her head. Tony's personal life is none of her business. He can do whatever he wants with _who_ever he wants. The center between Evelyn's eyebrows begins to feel numb. She clamps her eyes shut in an attempt to make the funny feeling go away, but this action doesn't help. Slowly and on its own, it dissipates.

Scrubbing her body with soap, just as her hand passes across her stomach, Evelyn stops in her movements when a slight pain shoots through her side. The spot where her tattoo is, is oddly sore. Could it be from when both she and Richard saw it turn red? However, because her vision is fuzzy due to her bad eye-sight, Evelyn can't really see anything wrong with the sore spot. Simultaneously turning off the water and reaching for a towel, she wipes her body dry and inwardly curses when steam fogged up the mirror. Without much thought about her nakedness, she storms out of the bathroom and into her room. Shoving on her glasses that are resting on the nightstand, Evelyn peers down at her hip. Her fingers trace the tribal like mark, and she cringes every time she touches it or even goes near the tattoo. And then her attention veers down to her knees. Her scabs are gone. In fact, any signs of ever being injured are gone. That's impossible right? Cuts can't heal over and go away in a single night.

Evelyn silently dresses herself in a pair of house shorts and white spaghetti strap. Her thirst for answers about her unknown childhood returns with a vengeance: Why on earth would a 13-year-old have a tattoo? Why can't she remember a _single_ memory from before The Place? Why was was she in a hospital for most of her childhood, instead of home with Emily, Barbra and Scott (her step-father)? Why did Scott not want her? ...Why doesn't she know about her real father? Not even a name.

Coming out of her room, Evelyn finds Emily on a latter trying to screw in a light bulb in the ceiling fans. Danny is in his play-pen, and Samantha is watching TV.

"Don't you have work today?" Evelyn asks.

"Yeah, but I think I might not go. There's too much to do today. I can't even let the kids run around without finding more glass," Emily sighs.

Guilt tugs at Evelyn's heartstrings. This is all her fault. "I can clean up the place and put in the light bulbs," she says. "Go ahead and go to work."

"You sure? I can stay and help," Emily replies, tone unsure.

"Emily, the only reason I'm here is because I have nothing else to do," says Evelyn. "I think I can screw in some light bulbs."

"And vacuum," Emily adds. "...Maybe sweep and mop a little...do the dishes, wash a load of laundry..." she tries to casually add.

Evelyn grins. "Sure, that too." She knows how much difficulty Emily has in raising two kids and juggling her own business.

"Thanks Evie, you're a life savor." Emily kisses Evelyn's cheek. "Kids, come on – we still have time to drop you off at Tumble Tots!"

"Yay!" both Samantha and Danny shout simultaneously.

"The spare light bulbs are on the couch, but if you need more you might have to go to the hardware store," Emily remarks, trying to rush the kids out of the door. "I'll make it up to you when I get back!" she adds before closing the front door.

Evelyn is left in a silent house. Her head turns towards the dozens of boxes of light bulbs on the couch and the step-latter that Emily was using. Well, she better get started now so she can finish faster. Doing a walk-through of the house, Evelyn finds out that Emily already did most of the house, and all that is left is Evelyn's room and the living room. Shrugging, since most of her workload is already done, she grabs a box of light bulbs and then drags the step-latter over underneath the ceiling fan and steps onto the top step to screw in the new light bulbs. Once she is on the last light bulb, a familiar 'thump' catches her attention.

She knows that thump from anywhere.

Her heart skips a beat in her chest.

Slowly stepping down the latter, Evelyn's full attention is on her bedroom door, which is barely visible from her spot in the living room. She creeps over to her door and cautiously opens it. Her closet door is ajar, just as it was when she came home last night.

Evelyn gulps. "...Hello...?" she calls out.

There is no answer. Evelyn heads over to the closet and slides open the door, discovering that the attic space is open (again), but this time there is no box.

"Don't go up in the creepy attic space, Evie," Evelyn sings lowly to herself. However, of course, she does the exact opposite and she pushes aside her clothes so she can have more room to climb up to the attic. She jogs out back to the living room and gets the step-latter, dragging it over to her room. Climbing up into so that half her body is up in the attic space, dust wafts in Evelyn's nose, causing her to sneeze. Squinting because it is too dark to see very far, she vaguely spots the outline of another box. Dragging the box towards her, she tries to gently pull it out of the attic opening, but her foot misses a step on the latter and she ungracefully tumbles to the floor along with the box. Some ballerina she is.

An old VHS tape slides up to Evelyn's face, and picks it up and hovers it over her head. She reads what is written across the white label on the tape, and then takes a second look at the box: Patient #364-152. As Evelyn uprights herself, she looks into the box and discovers that it is filled with similar tapes along with other items. Rummaging through the box, pushing aside some tapes, Evelyn takes out a plastic hospital identification bracelet, something that she remembers wearing for an entire month before being released in her mother's care.

_Evelyn M. Addams, _Evelyn reads her name underneath her patient ID number. _#364-152._

But she doesn't remember the tapes.

Shoving the spilled items back into the box, Evelyn, with some difficulty, drags it out to the living room, dumping out all of the items onto the carpeted floor. When she goes to the TV to play one of the tapes, she realizes that only a Blu-ray player is connected to the 60" Sharp TV mounted on the wall. Evelyn goes in search for a VHS player. She finds one in the garage and she rushes to connect the wires to the TV. There are at least fifteen or so tapes scattered all over the floor of the living room. Which one should she chose to see first?

Sighing, Evelyn takes a moment to contemplate what she just discovered. Her whole life before the age of 13 could be on these tapes. Well, at least the part where she was in the hospital as patient #364-152. However, she never did know how long she was in the hospital for. Another question left unanswered by her mother.

Her whole life on tape...Whoa.

Quirking her mouth to the side, Evelyn's eyes scan through the tapes again. Choosing one at random, she slides the tape into the VHS player slot and presses play. Sitting on her legs, close to the 60" screen, she watches with sharp eyes as the tape plays, showing an all white room. A mattress takes up one side of a wall and the walls appear to be patted, but Evelyn is more focused on a little girl who is staring _straight_ at the camera. Dark-brown locks fall to the length of her chin, her skin is smooth of any blemishes and is a creamy white, her cheeks are tinged a rosy red, and round blue-eyes stare dolefully up at the camera. She looks awfully familiar.

_That's me... _Evelyn inwardly gasps. Her eyes veer down to the tape's time and is seven-years-old in the tape and, oddly, she's wide awake at three in the morning. Is that possible? She at 29 gets sleepy by 10 o'clock. Evelyn can't lie to herself, but, right now, watching the younger version of herself staring at some security camera at three in the morning is freaking her out.

Maybe she was in the hospital for insomnia?

Fast-forwarding the tape, Evelyn keeps switching her attention back and forth between her seven-year-old self and the time on the tape. Hours zoom by, and Evelyn doesn't move from the exact same position of staring benignly at the camera. This causes her to worry. What was wrong with her?

The tape comes to an end, yet Evelyn doesn't move from her spot in front of the TV. Her eyes are wide and glossy with unshed tears. Her breathing escapes from her mouth in slow and semi-ragged gasps. According to the tape's time, she hadn't moved a single inch for nearly an entire day. Tell her that's not freaky?

Maybe she shouldn't watch the rest of the video? Maybe they're all full of her just staring up at the camera?

Ejecting the video tape, Evelyn scoots over to the box she found in the attic space, wanting to put it back. The palm of her hand presses down on her old patient ID band. Curling her fingers around the plastic bracelet, she lifts it from the carpet to have a better view of it. She spent most of her life wondering about her past, and now that all of the answers are right in front of her, she is wimping out? She always wimps out whenever she grows too scared or cautious about the outcome. Silently clasping the patient band around her left wrist, Evelyn stares down at it with a dazed expression on her face. She lightly traces the band with the tips of her fingers and feels something buzz in the back of her mind that is telling her to continue looking through the tapes. That she has to know.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

Gnawing on her thumb nail, eyes glued to the TV, Evelyn taps the eraser end of a pencil against a yellow notepad that is only scribbled with more questions about the tapes she watched through. Nothing really stood out too much, the surveillance tapes that she has gone through only were of her throughout the years in her little white room, watching the video camera with a small smirk on her face- as if she knew someone was watching her. There were some hours where she would sleep, but most of the time she was wide awake.

So far, written on the notepad is: 'Insomnia?' 'Why am I staring at the camera?' The tapes have only brought more questions, not answers, and this frustrates Evelyn.

"Caramelle Dansen!" the upbeat Swedish pop-song breaks through the quite air, and out of instinct for choosing this song in the first place as her cellphone ring tone, Evelyn bounces from her seat on the couch – dancing. This song always lifts her spirits. She doesn't recognize the number lighting across the screen, and doesn't know whether to answer the call or not, she is quite busy. But...she never willingly ignored a phone call before, she feels bad whenever she _unintentionally_ does it.

"Hello?" she answers, pausing the video tape.

"Good, you answered. I was beginning to think you wouldn't." The voice of Tony speaks on the other end.

"How did you get my phone number?" Evelyn furrows her brow, trying to remember if she gave it to him or not.

"I have my ways," Tony slyly quips.

"Is this your actual phone number, or is this like the call card you gave me?" she counters.

"This is my actual contact number; now don't go and sell it on e-bay or anything," he teases.

A toothy smile stretches across Evelyn's face.

"So, how would you feel about a late lunch?" he asks.

"I thought you said that you were busy today?" Evelyn answers, confused.

"And I still am," Tony replies. "Pepper made me attend a few meetings with the Board of Directors and a few potential buyers, but I'm bored. I can use a good distraction."

"So you call me?" Evelyn questions, puzzled. Why would he call her? Why not have a late lunch with Pepper?

"Well...yeah. Who else would I call?" Tony says as if it is the most obvious answer in the world.

Evelyn giggles. She only knew Tony for a few days, and already he's talking to her as if they're old chums. She checks the time on the wall-clock hanging above the living room fireplace; it's nearly two in the afternoon. Her stomach rumbles. She hasn't eaten breakfast, either. As soon as she found the tapes, she got so absorbed into watching them that she forgot to eat.

"I can have lunch," she replies. "What time?"

(_Knock, knock, knock_)

"Now," says Tony.

Evelyn twists around in her spot on the couch and looks towards the front door with a raised brow. Is Tony seriously at the door, or is it just some weird coincidence? Jogging over to the door with her cellphone still pressed firmly to her ear, Evelyn opens the door to reveal an impeccably dressed Tony Stark. His hair is slicked back, sun-glasses hang loosely on the bridge of his nose, and he is in a three piece silver suit; and here, Evelyn, is dressed in rags compared to him.

"How long have you been standing out here?" she asks.

"Not long – ten minutes tops." Tony speaks as if him standing outside Emily's door for ten minutes 'tops' is nothing. "Is your sister home?"

"No." Evelyn shakes her head.

"Oh, good." Tony smiles and walks past Evelyn, into the house.

Evelyn rolls her eyes at his action, smiles softly, and closes the door.

"So what are you in the mood for? Mexican? Chinese? Japanese...?" Tony trails off as he enters the living room, seeing the many tapes and items that Evelyn had when she was discharged from the hospital; mainly just little trinkets: shoelaces, her hospital uniform, and the arts and crafts pieces that she made while hospitalized. Tony's eyes zone in on the TV, at the paused image of a ten-year-old Evelyn staring up at the camera. "Am I interrupting something?" he asks.

"Remember when I told you that I can't remember anything from before I was 13? Well, I found this box that had my mother's old journal; it had some weird spell thingy in it, and I read it out loud, and all this weird stuff is happening to me, so I went back up in the attic space and found this box that had all my old hospital stuff in it," Evelyn explains. "I've been going through the tapes all day."

A part of Evelyn thought that Tony would be freaked out by what she's saying and would leave and never come back; this depresses her. But she is surprised when Tony continues to speak casually.

"Did you find anything out?" he asks, peering down at the tapes. He bends over and picks up some of Evelyn's drawings that she created in the hospital, leafing through them. The drawings are kind of dark: most of them are of dead people, or some lady with long dark hair and scary red eyes.

Evelyn shakes her head. "Just that I think that I had insomnia, or some kind of sleep disorder. All the tapes I watched had me wide awake for days at a time," she says warily. "I still have some more to go through."

Tony places the drawings on the couch and faces Evelyn. He tentatively lifts her left hand and slides his thumb across the hospital band still wrapped around her wrist. "I can take a look into it if you want?" he offers.

Evelyn's heart flutters in her chest at Tony's gentle touch. "I wouldn't want to bother you with my petty problems," she murmurs.

He gazes deeply into her eyes and replies, "Really, it's no problem."

Worry and excitement tingles up Evelyn's spine. Tony, for sure, would find something about Evelyn's past that she can't with just a few surveillance tapes. But what if he finds something that Evelyn can't handle?

"I don't know..." Evelyn speaks cautiously. "My mom said that my past is best unknown."

"Too bad – I'm doing it," Tony declares with a charming grin; his eyes twinkle with mischief. "Get dressed, I think you can use a break."

"What should I change in to?" Evelyn asks.

Tony's eyes trail down Evelyn's body, causing her face to heat up, and then meets her gaze. He gives her a crooked smile that melts Evelyn's insides. He guides her to her room, though when she sees the closet, she stops, scared. Tony notices this and switches his gaze back and forth between Evelyn and the closet. The closet door is still open, and the step-latter is tipped over on its side.

"Is this where you found the box?" he asked, pointing up the ceiling within the closet.

Evelyn nods.

Tony checks the closet and props up the step-latter. He climbs up to the top step, and Evelyn watches, frightened, as he takes a look into the attic space for himself. What if there is something else in there that she missed? Whatever made the light bulbs burst wants her to find something in the attic space, but what? Her mother's diary? The box? Is that it? Or is there more.

Tony steps down and dusts off his suit. "All clear," he says.

Evelyn's chest deflates of the breath she was holding in, in relief. "Really?"

"Really," Tony repeats. He steps up to Evelyn, grips both of her shoulders, and positions her next to the closet.

Evelyn is tense, but she slowly relaxes. Tony goes through the clothes that he brought for her, and picks out a navy blue dress with a dangerously low 'V' neck. He holds it out over Evelyn's body, briefly scans it with skilled eyes and then shakes his head, putting the dress back into the closet. He takes out another dress - a flowing deep purple cocktail dress with virtually no back, and does the same thing he did with the first dress, positioning it over Evelyn's front. He nods and places the dress in Evelyn's arms.

"Put that on..." he commands and squats down to the ground where Evelyn's many shoes are neatly alined on the closet floor. "With these shoes," he adds, picking out three-inch silver stilettos with lace up straps that wove around her calves.

Evelyn eyes the elegant choice of clothing with furrowed brows. "Where are we going?"

"Well, since you took forever in deciding where you want to go, _I_ chose Italian. I know a nice place a few miles from here," Tony answers. "Consider it the next location of your training in the Art of Seduction." He winks.

"Really?" Evelyn beams at the thought of another seduction lesson. She ushers Tony out of her room so that she can get dressed. After she closes and locks the door – still effected by his run in at Victoria's Secret – Evelyn rushes to change into the beautiful, flowing dress and high-heels. Her fear of the closet doesn't even cross her mind once. When finished putting on the clothes, she combs her wavy hair up into a bun, applies some make-up, and struggles to put on her contacts.

_Another day, another lesson, and one step closer to getting that part,_ Evelyn tells herself, smiling at her reflection. "Ready!" she announces gleefully to no one in particular. Her hand reaches for the doorknob, but then something catches her attention from the corner of her eye: her mother's diary. _Tony __did offer to help..._ And she really wants to know exactly what she read out loud that brought up all these strange occurrences to begin with.

Evelyn grabs her mother's diary that is on top of the nightstand by the bed and she comes out of her room, up to Tony. "Hey," she calls out to him while turning to her mother's last entry that contains the weird writing. "Do you think you can translate this?" she asks, handing over the leather journal.

Tony looks down at the writing, and his brows furrow. "What is this?" he asks.

"It's my mother's journal," Evelyn answers. "It's the first thing I found from the attic. Do you know what it says?"

Tony shakes his head. "I think this is in Latin. I'll have JARVIS translate it after lunch," he replies. "Ready to go?" he asks, tucking the journal underneath the crook of his armpit.

Evelyn beams. "Ready as I'll ever be," she chimes, happily skipping to the front door.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"How did Pepper like the bracelet?" asks Evelyn, eating a shrimp from the shrimp fettucini alfreo that she ordered.

She and Tony spent the ride to the little Italian restaurant in silence, not uncomfortable, though; it was rather...pleasant. Just sitting in each others company. But the knowledge of Tony giving Pepper the stunning diamond bracelet is killing her, and she has to know the outcome of the exchange! Did Pepper tell him of her feelings? Did he tell her?

"She loved it," Tony answers.

Evelyn can hear the pleased tone in Tony's voice, and she smiles. Even though she is envious of Tony's obvious affection for his assistant, Evelyn is glad that, perhaps, someday, the two can find love and happiness together. Yes Evelyn has feelings for Tony, but probably all the women he meets do. She doesn't want to ruin the friendship that they have by blurting out her attraction for him.

"But..." his tone changes from pleased to confused and...hurt? His chocolate brown eyes dim a shade darker. "I couldn't help but notice that after she got over the excitement of getting something shiny, she pulled away."

"Maybe she was shy," Evelyn replies, feeling sympathetic for Tony. "You have been her boss for years, so she probably needs some time to adjust to the idea of a serious relationship."

"Serious relationship?" Tony swiftly responds, face ashen.

Oh, yeah, Evelyn almost forgot that Tony has never been in a serious relationship before.

"I don't do serious," Tony objects, shaking his head.

"So what were you planning on doing with her after she confesses her feelings for you?" Evelyn's jaw slacks.

"I don't know." He shifts uncomfortably in his seat.

Evelyn is about to respond, but then she hears a rather loud woman "whisper" a comment about she and Tony: "Well, well, will you look at those two. I wonder where he found this one?"

"I think I've seen her with him before..." another lady "whispers". "She was on People Magazine."

"Do you see that thing on her arm?"

Evelyn blushes, and her stomach drops. Her hand tries to cover the hospital band still strapped to her wrist that she had forgotten all about.

"Consider this your next lesson," Tony declares pompously.

Evelyn's face twists in bewilderment. Isn't he embarrassed to be seen with her at this moment? It looks as if he's on a date with a fresh out of the loony bin mental patent!

"Confidence," Tony states firmly. "Ignore what people may say about you." He leans back in his seat. "Ooze confidence, and all attention will be on you on that stage – I can guarantee it."

"I have confidence." Evelyn pouts, tone small and meek.

Tony raises a brow, obviously catching Evelyn's lie. He props his elbows on the table-top, leaning close to Evelyn. "Then why are you covering up your hospital band?" he asks just above a whisper.

Evelyn fumbles for an explanation. "I just...aren't you ashamed of-"

"Ashamed?" Tony interrupts. "Because of two old ladies gossiping?"

"This band says I'm from a mental hospital," Evelyn whispers as quietly as possible, but still audible enough for Tony to hear her complaint.

"And still you would be the sanest woman I've ever been seen with," he replies.

"Why kind of women do you date?" Evelyn's jaw slacks.

Tony chuckles and winks. "Tell me, Evie," he changes the subject, "can you dance anything other than ballet?"

"Of course," she answers. "My mom taught me everything she knows, and she did Broadway musicals."

The corner of Tony's lips quirk upwards. "Can you Tango?"

"Tango?" Evelyn squeaks, cheeks flushing red. Yes, she can Tango, but she never danced it in public where people can see her. She and Barbra only danced the Tango in the comfort of their own home. "I-I can Tango," she stammers and somehow manages to nod.

"Good." Tony stands up and holds out his hand for Evelyn to take.

"Here?" Evelyn gasps.

"That's why I picked this place." Tony grins.

"But people can see us!"

"Do you know how many women would kill to be in your position right now?" he questions with a raised brow.

Evelyn bites the inside of her cheek, battling with herself to either follow him, or stay put in her seat.

"Evie," says Tony, "think about the part: What would the Black Swan do?"

Evelyn straightens her posture. Yes. The Black Swan would do the Tango in public! _I can do this,_ Evelyn builds up her courage and takes in a deep breath through her nose. "All right," she accepts Tony's hand and rises up from her seat, "let's dance."

Tony guides Evelyn to the small dance floor at the center of the restaurant. He leaves her for a moment to talk with the band and then comes back to her with a certain glint in his eyes. The music starts off slow, and Tony pulls Evelyn to his chest. Evelyn can hear her heart pounding in her ears and she is beginning to have second thoughts when Tony takes the lead to begin the seductive, intimate dance of the Tango. She feels as if all eyes are on her, waiting for her to screw up and embarrass herself in front of one of the most important men in the world. Her body tenses, and her dance movements seem awkward, stiff and forced (which they are).

"Calm down, Evie." Tony dips his head low and whispers in Evelyn's ear. "Relax," he coos.

She shudders at the feel of his hot breath blowing against the sensitive skin of her neck.

"It's just you and me," he continues to sooth. "You and me."

Evelyn can feel her body lax at Tony's calming tone and she does as he says, focusing on just him and her. Focus on just him and her. Tony and Evelyn. Something buzzes in the back of Evelyn's mind, and the center between her brows goes numb, again, just like this morning in the shower (to which she discovered that the cuts on her knees had magically healed). She can feel a sudden change within herself, a new sensation and feeling that she has never felt before. Locking her gaze with Tony, Evelyn smirks – yes, smirks! - at the sight of his beautiful dark eyes widening. She stands on the tips of her toes and hotly whispers in Tony's ear, "Just you and me." She then grins with satisfaction as she can feel him shudder against her at her words.

Evelyn's body moves in sync with Tony and the music playing in the background, but the song falls on deaf ears with Evelyn. She is focused solely on Tony. She can feel the song coming to an end, and she wants to have a big finale: hooking a leg around Tony's hip, her fingers slide down his chest, he dips her low to the ground and his hand slowly trails along her bare and exposed thigh, his face hovering over hers, separated by mere inches. His warm breath blows against her lips, and they both subconsciously lean in closer...until the clapping of applause begins, interrupting the intimate moment.

Snapping out of her daze, Evelyn's eyes widen at Tony's close proximity. She immediately distances herself from him, face blazing red, and she keeps her eyes glued to the floor. Tony chuckles from behind her, and his breath blows on the back of her neck, causing her to go rigid.

"You did great," he remarks.

"Thank you," Evelyn squeaks quietly, completely embarrassed. She didn't know what came over her.

"Come on, I'll take you home," says Tony.

Evelyn nods vigorously and rushes out to the valet post, leaving him to pay for the ticket.

Again, the car ride to Emily's is spent in utter silence, but the air around Evelyn is thick with tension, while Tony seems rather smug. Within no time Tony pulls up to the curb in-front of Emily's house because of his speeding, and Evelyn bustles to get out of the car, greedily sucking in the fresh air.

"You all right?" Tony asks.

"Fine," Evelyn answers much more quickly than she probably should have.

"Well..." he says, unsure. "...I probably should head back to New York, then, before Pepper bites my head off."

Evelyn gawks at him. "You came all the way from New York?"

"That's the perk of having my own plane." Tony leisurely shrugs. "I go wherever I want, whenever I want."

He meets Evelyn at the door-stoop, gazing down at her with a soft lopsided smile. They lock gazes. Evelyn's lips tremble as she struggles to find something to say. She shouldn't be feeling or acting this way around Tony when he has feelings for Pepper, even though he won't openly admit it. Her heart drops, and all of the courage she once had while at the restaurant goes away.

"Thank you for lunch and the new lesson," she murmurs softly, breaking their gaze.

"It's no problem," he replies just as soft.

Evelyn smiles weakly and goes to tuck a lose strand of her hair behind her ear, which has been bothering her since they left the restaurant, but Tony beats her to the punch. Evelyn gazes deeply into Tony's eyes, getting lost in their intensity. No one has ever stared at her the way he is right now, before – with want and need. Evelyn feels like fainting, and she gulps as her body temperature rises a few degrees.

Tony leans in, and excitement bubbles within Evelyn's chest. Is he actually going to kiss her? Her: Evelyn Marie Addams? His lips gently brush against her, and Evelyn's eyes flutter closed as she waits for him to fully kiss her, but then the moment is interrupted (again) when Tony's phone rings. Clearing his throat, Tony steps away from Evelyn to answer the call.

"Yeah?" he asks to the person on the other line.

Evelyn frowns when his gaze drops to the ground, away from her.

"I went out to grab some lunch...I was in the mood for Italian...Pepper, come on, you don't actually need me there. You know what you're doing, that's why I hired you..."

When she discovers that it is Pepper who has called, Evelyn's eyes burn with tears, but she tries to keep them in. Oh God, what was she about to do with Tony? She actually... she _wanted_ him to kiss her. She _wanted_ him to wrap his arms around her, drawing her close to him as humanly possible.

"I have to go," Tony says after ending the call. He still is not meeting her gaze.

"Yeah..." Evelyn nods repeatedly. "Yeah, okay."

"I'll... I'll call you."

"...Okay..."

Evelyn watches as Tony leaves her at Emily's door-stoop. She takes in a deep breath, hoping to calm her pounding heart, flushed face, and hazed mind. She nods to herself, exhales through her mouth, and goes inside.


	6. Hello Fascination

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © __F0REVERM0RE_   
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

**Chapter Six:**  
Hello Fascination

* * *

Tossing a stress ball back and forth in his hands, Tony is in deep thought. His head is filled with thoughts of Evie and their lunch together. There had been a huge change in her on the dance floor, like she switched personalities. She went from bashful and timid, to courageous and daring. And he liked it.

A small smile forms on his lips and his eyes twinkle as his memory flashes back to the end of their Tango. Her skin was so soft, so smooth and cool to the touch. Her lips were slightly parted, just waiting to be kissed as she stared deeply into his eyes with such intensity. A shudder goes down Tony's spine as his thoughts linger on the various emotions in Evie's eyes as she was hovering in mid-air, held in his arms: the passion, the heat, the lust. Tony perks in his seat on his private plane as he feels his blood flow downwards; he nervously crosses his legs in an attempt to hide his arousal from the petite ballet dancer. Also, it didn't help his growing attraction to her, that once he took her home—to an empty house—he had to opportunity to make the first move. To kiss her – to take her. That's what he originally wanted when he first laid eyes on her. But he didn't. He couldn't. Evie is...different. Special. Plus, Pepper called, interrupting the moment. Tony doesn't know if he should feel relieved or peeved.

Oh, wait. Pepper. Crap, he almost forgot about her. Tony gazes at his assistant, who is engrossed with some sort of paperwork in her lap. His eyes travel down to the diamond bracelet dangling on her right wrist. He smirks. How could he have easily forgotten about the woman who practically runs his life? The woman who Evie is HELPING him try to woo?

Pepper must have noticed Tony's staring because she looks up at him and shyly smiles before going back to her paperwork.

Tony smiled back, switching his gaze out of his window after Pepper broke eye contact. With Evie, Tony looses himself. He can be himself with her. She doesn't judge him, doesn't look at him and see Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries. She sees him for Tony – just Tony...and she hasn't run away at the knowing of his many escapades – she embraces it.

_Evelyn Marie Addams._ Tony speaks Evie's full name that was on her hospital band, filling in the middle initial with her middle-name that she had told him when they first met. He smiles at the image of a beaming Evie forming in his head. _What have you done to me?_ If it wasn't for her, he would have never thought about his possible feelings for Pepper. But now that he's actually thinking about his feelings and crap (Ew) – there is Evie: sweet, naive, bubbly, too-innocent-for-Tony-to-taint Evelyn Marie Addams. Completely different from confident, head-strong, and determined Virginia 'Pepper' Potts. Actually, there is no one quite like Evie. No one. He knew her for only few days, and already he can't think of doing anything that doesn't involve Evie tagging along. He means, come on, he left right in the middle of a meeting because he was hungry, flew all the way back to Miami, just so that he could see what she was doing.

Speaking about what Evie was doing. **JARVIS.** Tony types in on his all purpose phone. He doesn't want Pepper or Obi, who is also with them on the plane, to know what he is going to ask his A.I. to do.

**Yes, Sir?** JARVIS responds. **May I ask why you are using this method of communication?**

**I'll explain later. Right now I need you to look into something for me. I need you to find anything you can about a woman named Evelyn Marie Addams, between the age group of 25 – 30. **

**I'll get right on it, Sir,** JARVIS replies.

"Refresh your drink, Mr. Stark?" one of Tony's flight attendants asks.

Tony nods, holding out his empty glass that was once filled with the finest of scotch. When the flight attendant goes to get him more, he remembers the journal Evie gave him that her mother wrote. She mentioned that she read something in Latin out loud from the book, and that was when all the strange occurrences began. He pulls out the small journal that he had tucked away into the inner-pocket of his suit jacket. He flips to the last page, reading the text in his head, hoping that he could possibly translate it himself. He can't.

**I also need you to translate something for me, JARVIS.** He types to his A.I. **Potestatem Drusilla surgunt. Cursum inuise trans aethera. Venite ad me, ad te clamo. Et sede hic venit ad me. I think it may be in Latin. Try that first.**

**Yes, Sir. **JARVIS immediately replies.

Tony inwardly sighs. _The things I do for lo..._ His entire body goes rigid, and he's pretty sure that the blood had drained from his face. Was he going to think what he thought he was going to think? A wide smile was once on his face, but now it had slipped off, forming an uncertain frown. _The things I do for lust. Yeah. That's what's what I was going to say._ He nods to himself.

"What are you smiling about over there?"

Tony clears the evidence of his and JARVIS' conversation from his phone, and nonchalantly looks up at Obi. Obi removes his reading glasses and casts a knowing glance at Tony.

"Nothing, why do you ask?" Tony replies.

Obi chuckles, wagging his finger. "Now don't you lie to me, Tony. I know you better than anyone in the world. Tell me, what's her name?"

"Why do you automatically assume that it's a woman?" Tony raises a brow.

"When it is ever NOT about a woman?" Obi retorts. "Come on. Who's holding your attention for the day?"

Tony quickly steals a glance towards Pepper, who, in return, is trying—and failing—to contain a smile.

"Is it that girl from the papers? That waitress from that charity event?" questions Obi.

"She's a ballet dancer," Tony corrects. "And her name is Evie."

Obi nods, face revealing that he is slightly impressed. "A ballet dancer? That's new," he says. "How long have you been seeing this one?"

Tony is slightly bothered by Obi calling Evie "This one" as if she is like all the other girls he briefly dated for a day. A frown is now permanently on his lips. "Four days," he answers, hoping that it would put Obi's "for the day" comment to rest. He doesn't spare a glance to Pepper, knowing that she is most definitely staring at him with either hurt or disappointment on her face. And he doesn't want to see that look on her face. Ever.

"Four days? That's a new record! Nice job there, son." Obi smiles.

"Don't get your hopes up, Obi." Tony forces himself to put his full attention on Pepper, hoping to explain that she has nothing to worry about. "We're just friends. Strictly platonic." Though as he says these words, he feels like he's trying to convince himself rather than Pepper; but at least Pepper does look a little happier.

"Well, I for one, would like to meet this...friend...of yours. You should invite her to the award ceremony in Vegas; that is if you're still friends within the next five days."

"Oh, ha-ha, very funny," Tony chortles, but when he thinks about Obi's comment, Tony agrees with his old friend. He did meet Evie for the first time just outside of Vegas. It can be like a little reunion. "You know what, you're right, Obi. I'll do that right now. Evie and I will probably have to go shopping for a new gown and everything," Tony mumbles under his breath, scrolling through his phone.

"Tony, it is late, you should leave her alone," Pepper states.

Tony can't help but notice that bitter tone in his assistant's voice. Is Pepper jealous of Evie? He reads the time on his wrist-watch and huffs when he discovers that Pepper is right. It is 9:30 in Miami. Once he returned to New York after his lunch with Evie, the meetings took longer than he expected. He could have stayed the night in his penthouse of his building in the city, but, for some reason, he wanted to go back to Miami as soon as possible. Tony's leg bounces impatiently when he tries putting off calling Evie. "It's not that late," he comments, dialing Evie's number. The line rings a total of five times, and just when Tony thinks that Evie isn't going to answer – she does.

"H-hello?"

Tony's brows furrow with concern. She sounds...off. "Evie?" he questions with worry, straightening up in his seat. "What's wrong?" He forgets all about Pepper and Obi on the plane with him.

"Hm...? Oh, nothing, I'm fine. Just tired I guess," she replies.

Tony remains doubtful. "Did I wake you?"

"No, no, you didn't..." she trails off. He is waiting for her to continue, but when she doesn't he only becomes even more worried.

"Evie...?" he calls out with worry.

"Uh, Tony, I think I should go to bed. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Evie? Evie, wait... Evie?" Tony stares down at his phone. She hung up on him. Did he say something wrong? Was it the awkwardness of their lunch? The almost kiss? _Stupid_, he curses at himself. He probably scared her off with his forwardness. She is different; much more sweet and timid than he usually goes for. He holds his chin in deep thought, gazing out of his window at the passing clouds.

"Is everything all right?" Pepper questions, tone laced with concern.

Tony's lips part to speak, but the beep of his phone catches his attention. He peers down at the bright screen, at what JARVIS had sent him. It is the English translation of the Latin text from the end of Evelyn's mother's journal—

"_**Power of Drusilla rise.**_

_**Course unseen across the skies.**_

_**Come to me, I call you near.**_

_**Come to me and settle here.**_"

_Holy shit,_ Tony's mind is blown. Is it him, or does that sound like a spell to summon some person named Drusilla? And Evie read this out loud to herself? Tony fishes out the journal from his jacket pocket, again. He flips to the last page, scanning the words with his own eyes. What was Evie's mother in to? And when he flips over to the first entry, reading from it to the last, Tony doesn't know what to think. Evelyn's mother, at sixteen, just expected for fame to fall into her lap just because she could kick really high and keep up with a beat. And when times were getting hard (which is natural) she got all piss-y because she didn't become some Broadway starlet overnight. And by the sounds of the strange man coming up to her at a bar- it sounded shade-y. He probably fed her some crap that gave her hope and delusion that he would help her make it big. Then again, he probably could have been an actual agent- Barbra Addams is a well known name in the dancing community.

Tony's phone beeps again; JARVIS had attached a few files of what he could find on women named Evelyn Marie Addams. There are four whom match the woman that Tony wants, but he is quick to narrow it down to Evie when he spots a recent photo of her on one of the files. He opens the file, reading through the abundant amount of information JARVIS found. Tony is amazed. Evie's twenty-nine? Twenty-nine, going to be thirty in a few months. _Whoa_. Tony's never been with anyone who was only three years younger than he. Hell, the oldest he's ever been with was twenty-seven, and even then he was all _bleh_. Evie doesn't even look like she's going to be thirty. Once Tony gets past the whole age thing, he gets up from his seat and heads for the cockpit. Knocking on the door before opening it, Tony sees the pilot busy at work. "Hey, Larry; you have any plans after we land?" he asks, sitting on the empty co-pilot seat.

"Not really. Do you need me?" asks Larry.

"I need to go back to New York. I'll triple your salary," Tony declares. He had had Larry take him back and forth between New York and Malibu twice already, and asking him to do it one more time must be tiring even though it is his job to fly Tony wherever he wants, whenever he wants. Though, Tony feels guilt. Larry must have a major case of jet lag from all the flying around he did that day.

"We would need to refuel," says Larry. "Are you in a rush?"

Tony shakes his head. "No; but I would like to leave as soon as possible."

"Is everything all right, Mr. Stark?" Larry asks with concern.

"Everything's fine, Larry." Tony clamps a hand over the pilots shoulder as he rises from his seat. "Something just came up that I need to take care of."

"Your drink, Mr. Stark." The flight attendant hands Tony a fresh glass.

"Thank you." He takes the glass. "Oh, and I'm gonna need you to stay on clock. I'm going back to New York for a couple of days."

A wide, flirtatious smile spreads across the flight attendants face. "Yes, Mr. Stark." She winks and struts away, hips swaying.

Tony watches, taking a sip of his drink. Should he have told her that he's planning on bringing along another woman? And that it's not another one of their little "get togethers" that they sometimes have whenever he's too lazy to seduce another woman; or to keep him occupied during extended flights.

When the plane landed back in Malibu, Tony was quick to ditch Pepper and Obi with Happy as their driver; he had called a cab. He wants to get home as fast as possible to pack for his trip back to New York, and he didn't want to wait for Happy to drop off Obi and Pepper at their homes first; it would take up too much valuable time of convincing Evie's sister. Emily, to let Evie come with him. That woman is really protective of her older sister, and Tony is completely terrified of her. However, instead of going home, Pepper had Happy take her to Tony's house, where she had caught him packing, and demanded to know what he is planning.

"Tony, I don't like this," Pepper says warily.

"I'll only be gone for a couple days or so. Stop worrying. It's not like I haven't done this before," Tony scoffs, briefly pausing from his packing to cast a glance towards his assistant. He had just finished explaining to Pepper why he has to go back to New York for a couple of days with Evie, and her response of her not liking the idea kind of irritates him. Why doesn't she understand that he has to do this for Evie?

"But you're taking a woman that you've only known for five days with you. What's so special about her that you're doing all of this just to impress her?"

Tony can hear the jealousy in Pepper's tone, and he sighs. "This isn't just a woman, Pepper; it's Evie," Tony chortles. "She's harmless, and I'm not doing this to impress her. I'm helping her – I told you that. She needs my help-"

"No — she asked for your help. You could have turned her down like you do with the others," Pepper interrupts.

"...We'll be staying at my penthouse above Stark Towers. If you need anything, you can just jump right over," Tony continues, ignoring Pepper's remark. He continues to pack.

"Why can't I come with you?" asks Pepper. "There are things that even I need you around for." Pepper can practically run Stark Industries on her own. She doesn't need Tony around – only for signatures and appearance purposes.

Tony tenses at Pepper's question. He doesn't want her to learn of the reason why he is helping Evie; that is Evie's personal business, and he only knows about it because she let him know. "You can't," he replies. "It's private."

"Tony," Pepper's tone is soft and wet. Tony knows that she is close to tears, but he doesn't turn around to face her. He hates seeing women cry; makes him feel like an ass. "Is there something going on between you and this woman that you want to tell me about?" she asks.

"I..." Tony doesn't know how to respond. "...I...care for her. Yes." He finally summons up the courage to gaze up at Pepper, expecting to see a heartbroken expression on her face, but he is surprised to see that she is well composed. Her eyes are red and watery, but her face is stoic.

Tony hadn't told Pepper that he had feelings for her; he had given her the diamond bracelet to show his appreciation for everything that she has done for him. But, even he can't deny the sexual tension between him and the beautiful red-head – the constant flirting, the knowing smiles...All that will stop if Tony (or she) got into a serious relationship. And lets be honest, Tony never expected for him to be the one to find someone first. So, yes, this is a shock. If Evie comes into the picture, things between him and Pepper will change.

Pepper pinches the bridge of her nose and closes her eyes; and when she opens her eyes again, she says, as calm and rationally as possible, "Need I remind you that it's five in the morning? And you have the Apogee Awards in Las-"

"Yes, yes. I remember. Don't worry, Peps, I'll be there on time and everything." She is changing the subject...again. Tony's jaw clenches. There have been times, before, where he would cross the line a little with Pepper, leaving the outcome up to her, but every time he took a step forward, she would always take a step back. So their not being together already is as much as her fault as it is his.

"How are you going to convince someone to let you into their home before dawn?" Pepper asks.

"I have a plan," Tony replies, clearing his throat. He has a plan already formulating in his head on how he can convince Emily to let him take Evie for a couple of days.

**[Evelyn]**

As soon as Tony dropped her off at Emily's house after lunch, Evelyn's mind was filled with inappropriate thoughts about Tony. She didn't know what had came over her while on the dance floor. It was like a switch flicked somewhere in her mind. If she hadn't regained control of herself, she might have done something. Something that she was sure that both she and Tony would regret since Tony has feelings for Pepper. And, Evelyn, in order to take her mind off of Tony and their lunch, she dived right back into watching the surveillance tapes of her old room at The Place, still dressed in her deep purple, flowing dress.

Evelyn just so happens to glance at the wall-clock, and panics when she notices that it is almost time for Emily and Richard to come home. She has to hide the box! Scrambling to put all of the VHS tapes back into the box, Evelyn then unplugs the old VHS player and stuffs it into the box as well. She struggles to drag the box to her room, and quickly undresses and redresses into some house clothes. Her head snaps into attention, and she gasps – she forgot to plug the Blu-ray player back into the TV! Running back into the living room, she reconnects it, but during the job she sees that she is still wearing the hospital band. She groans. She looks as the wall-clock. _I've still got time._ Jogging to her room in order to put away the hospital band, Evelyn's legs collide with the box, causing her to fall forward and onto the floor. She knocks over the box, again.

"Ow," Evelyn moans in pain, rolling over onto her back. She lands on something rectangular and hard. Pulling it out from underneath her, Evelyn frowns at the tape. She is about to toss it aside, when she reads what is on the label: Evidence. She sharply sits up.

The sound of the front door opening is in the background. "Evie, are you home?" Richard calls out.

"Yeah," Evelyn answers. "Hey, Richard, do you have a spare TV that I can use in my room?"

"Uh...yeah. I think we have an old box one in the garage. I'll get it for you."

Evelyn's eyes widen at the mess in her room. She can't risk letting Richard see any of it. "Uh, no! I'll get it!" she shouts. If Richard sees the tapes then he would probably tell Emily, and then – BAM, Evelyn's dead. She isn't suppose to know about her past. Dashing to the garage, mumbling a quick 'hello' to Richard as she passed him, Evelyn searches for the TV that he mentioned. Finding it, she breathes a sigh of relief when she sees that it is, in fact, a small TV; something that she can carry with her toothpick arms. Taking the TV to her room, again, quickly mumbling a 'hello' to Richard as she passed him, Evelyn falls to her knees, and plugs in the TV in the nearest outlet.

The house soon erupts with laughter, screams from Danny, and the pitter-patter of tiny feet. Emily and the kids are home.

"I brought home dinner!" Emily sings. "Everyone in the dining room before it gets cold!" Evelyn chooses to ignore her sister's call for dinner, and crawls to the door to quickly lock it before Emily barges in when Evelyn doesn't show up at the table. Crawling back to the TV, she sits on her legs and connects the VHS player.

"Evie?" Emily knocks on the door. "It's time for dinner."

"I'm not hungry," Evelyn replies, looking at the closed door. Even though she has only eaten lunch with Tony hours ago, her stomach feels empty but not hungry at the same time. Nerves. She's too focused on the tapes and such to worry about nutrition.

The doorknob jiggles. "Evie? Why do you have the door locked?"

"I'm, uh, naked. I just got out of the shower," Evelyn lies. "You guys go ahead and eat without me."

"Is something going on that you want to tell me about?" asks Emily with concern.

"Emily, I'm fine, honest. I" —Evelyn fumbles for words— "just feel guilty. I cheated and practiced some of the routines for the Swan Princess." She hates lying. "I'm punishing myself by locking myself in my room without supper."

"O...okay," Emily responds, doubtful.

Evelyn listens for any signs of Emily possibly standing outside of her door, and after a few minutes of silence, she twists around and faces the small TV. Peering down at the new tape she found, she contemplates about watching it. What kind of 'evidence' is on it? What if it isn't about her, but about something she has no business knowing? Evelyn slides in the tape, pressing play.

The familiar face of Scott, Emily's step-father, appears on the screen. His graying hair is slicked back, and he is practically sneering at the camera- his steel gray eyes cold and hard.

"She's doing it again," he states. "I don't know what's wrong with this girl, but weird shit happens around her all the time." The camera moves, the lens zooming in on a little girl no older than four, playing in a vast yard of lush, green grass. "Recently she hasn't been acting like she normally does. She's changed. Just watch," Scott continues to speak.

Evelyn automatically knows that the little girl playing merrily in the backyard is her. And the camera is on her tiny figure jumping around cheerfully in the yard. Nothing is happening.

"She was doing it! I sear!" Scott growls, and maneuvers the camera to face him again. "Things move around her. She speaks like an adult. She talks to herself! That little girl is weird. Freaky. Not normal." He moves the camera back to the yard and yelps.

So does Evelyn. Her eyes are wide, and her mouth hands open in shock. The four-year-old version of herself is standing right in front of the camera and Scott. Just a few seconds ago she was yards away from them; it was as if she popped up out of nowhere! The picture fazes in and out, static filling the screen in flashes as a young Evelyn smirks at Scott and the camera. Her head tilts to the side slightly.

Evelyn frowns when she spots something between the glitches. Pausing the tape, she openly gasps and clamps her hand over her mouth when she sees something terrifying. A face. A face is mixed in with the face of her younger self. A face that is not Evelyn's. The face has black eyes and a sadistic smile. That's when Evelyn realizes...This is the tape that landed her in the hospital. A mental hospital.

A sharp pain erupts in Evelyn's side. She clutches her side, grinding her teeth to contain the scream wanting to scrape out from her throat. It is her tattoo, again.

"...Evelyn..." a voice blows in her ear. Evelyn frantically tries to locate the source of the voice, but can't find one. What's going on? "...Don't fight it, Evelyn..." the same voice crackles, coming from everywhere and nowhere. Evelyn covers her ears with the palms of her hands. Tears pool beneath her eyes, and she is trembling. "...I will get out..." She's crazy...She's nuts...This is what her mom didn't want her to find out. Best forgotten. And she was right...She was right. Evelyn should have left her past alone.

"Caramelle Dansen!"

Evelyn jumps, startled, at the sound of her ring tone. Searching for her phone. She finds it mixed with the other times that spilled out from the box when she tripped over it. She peers down at the caller ID, and sees that it is Tony calling. What timing. He calls her when she's going through a break down. She doesn't want him to know about it. It might scare him away for good, and she doesn't want that. He's the closet thing to a real friend that she has.

"H-Hello?" she answers, voice wavering. Her eyes still search for the source of the unknown voice, hoping that there is a logical explanation. That she is not hearing voices in her head. That she's not crazy.

"Evie?" Tony's voice is laced with concern. "What's wrong?"

At his question, Evelyn's eyes veer to the screen of the small TV; at the black eyes on her younger self. "Hm...? Oh, nothing, I'm fine. Just tired I guess," she lies. Her face slacks, though, when, by itself, the tape begins to play on its own.

"Did I wake you?" Tony asks.

"No, no, you didn't..." Evelyn trails off, busy watching the tape. A voice that should not belong to a four-year-old, the same one that Evelyn heard call out her name, begins to speak to Scott. "Scott, Scott, Scott," the young Evelyn tuts, shaking her head shamefully, as if speaking to a child. "When are you ever going to learn? I'm not going anywhere." She grins evilly, eyes visibly flashing black. "This is my body now."

"What are you...?" Scott's voice murmurs, frighted.

"Evie...?" comes Tony's voice.

"Uh, Tony, I think I should go to bed. I'll call you tomorrow." Evelyn hangs up the phone without much thought on how rude it is. Her attention is glued to the TV.

"I'm Evie, your step-daughter," the young Evelyn answers Scott, smiling innocently, but her eyes reflect a completely different emotion—amusement. "You should be nice to me, Scott, or I'll tell Barbra."

"Your mother won't do a goddamn thing," Scott growls. "Which is why I'm taking matter into my owns hands."

This seems to anger little Evelyn. Her small hands clench tightly into fists. "She'll do whatever I tell her to do!" she bellows. The glass of the sliding door behind her, suddenly shatters to pieces. Evelyn stares at the TV in disbelief, her mouth and eyes open wide. "Oh, Scott, look at what you did." The little Evelyn shakes her head. "That's gonna cost ya a pretty penny to fix. Now get rid of that camera before I break it..." Before Evelyn can see more of the tape, a sharp pain erupts in her side and she grasps her hipbone, releasing a silent scream; her world fades black.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

Her eyes open like a snap of the fingers. Her face is pressed up against the carpet floor, her mouth open and drool trails down to the floor, leaving a tiny wet spot on the carpet. Her racing heart slows to a steady beat. Sluggishly sitting up, wiping the line of drool off of her chin, Evelyn groggily looks around her room. She fainted, right? Judging by the pounding in her head – yes. Evelyn runs her fingers through her hair, noticing that it is damp with light sweat. She had awoken from a dream that was quite intense, but, oddly, she can't remember a lick of it. The feelings—the emotion—is still evident to her body, but she can't remember what she dreamt.

The small TV is still on, but the screen is blue. Picking up her cellphone, she reads that it is five in the morning, meaning that she was out for a good few hours. Body on autopilot, Evelyn staggers to her feet, and begins dumping all of the VHS tapes back into the cursed box that she found in the attic space; she even dumps the TV and VHS player in there. Dragging the box to her closet, she clears a spot in the very back and then pushes the box there; she closes the door, never wanting to open it again. She's done. Curiosity peeked. She got in way over her head. She should have left her stupid past alone – a secret, like her mom said. Now look at what she's done. She found out that she's a freak; an ex-mental patient.

Tired; simply exhausted; Evelyn falls face first onto the bed without moving aside the comforter and blankets. Staring off into space, her eyes flicker towards the calendar that she pinned up to the wall. Just a few more weeks. Well, okay, a lot longer than a few weeks, but, soon. Soon she can go back home to good old New York. The crowded, ever busy, New York, where she doesn't have the time to worry about silly things like blocked memories – only dancing. Just the company and dancing. But... does she even care about getting the part anymore? Her obsession with wanting to be the Swan Princess seems childish now. She feels as if nothing else matters anymore now that she knows that she's nuts.

No.

She cannot let what she has learned get to her. Her life has to stay the same. She has to forget. She _can_ forget – she's obviously done it before. If anything, she should focus more on getting the part. Keep her mind busy.

Evelyn's eyelids grow heavy, and she closes her eyes to fall asleep; for a total of ten minutes. Her door slams open, causing her to sharply sit up in alarm, and gawk at the intruders: Tony...and Emily? Evelyn's jaw slacks at the blurriness of the two standing at her doorway. Didn't she lock the door, though? How in the heck did they get in?

"Thank you, Emily," Tony directs to Evelyn's sister without really looking at her.

"Whatever," Emily mumbles. "I'm going back to bed."

"Are you– do you know what time it is?" Evelyn asks, completely flabbergasted. She reaches for her glasses and swings her legs over the side of the bed, standing up.

"Yes, and, frankly we're wasting time chit-chatting." Tony gets behind Evelyn, firmly clamps his hands over her shoulders, and leads her out of her room, guiding her towards the front door.

"Wha...? Why are we...can I at least change out of these night clothes? Or put on some shoes?"

"Nope. Whatever we don't have, we'll get when we get there," says Tony.

"Where are we going?" she asks, brows furrowed.

Tony's car is parked out front, and Tony opens the passenger door for Evelyn. She spots a manila folder on the passenger's seat.

"I had JARVIS look you up, and after reading through your files, I found a place that may hold all the answers to your questions about your past," Tony explains as Evelyn flips through the papers in the manila folder. "The thing is" —Tony winks— "it's in New York."

Evelyn looks up from the folder, asking with wide eyes and a slacked jaw, "We're going to New York?"

"Already have the plane fueled up and waiting." Tony grins mischievously. "So what do ya say? Ready to go on a little adventure with me?" Evelyn goes to speak, but Tony interrupts. "Too late!" And he speeds off.

Evelyn laughs and buckles her seat belt. She opens the folder, again, reading through it. "New York State Asylum," she reads out loud from the first page. It is forms about her from the state hospital.

"You were admitted there when you were five for Dissociative Identity Disorder; according to your step-father, who was the one who admitted you. You were then discharged under your mother's care when you were thirteen."

Wow. Did he honestly read through all her files? "You know all of this, and you still..." _Talk to me._ Evelyn is confused.

"Like I told you" —Tony shrugs, a smirk on his lips as he glances at Evelyn from over the rim of his sunglasses— "I've dated worse."

"Worse than _this_?" Evelyn gestures to her file. It didn't even phase her that he mentioned 'dated' and her in the same sentence.

"WAY worse," he says. "They weren't even classified as insane, and, still, they cannot comprehend the meaning of a one night stand. I've been stalked, I've had windows broken, been slapped a few hundred times; even had a few paternity suits with women I've never met before- discounting the fact that I don't really remember more than half of the women I slept with," he mumbles the last few words.

"...I don't know..." Evelyn replies. "I'm beginning to have second thoughts about learning what happened to me, Tony. I saw some old tapes of myself, and...They're scary. I fainted!"

"You fainted?" Tony raises a brow.

"I fainted," she repeats firmly, nodding.

"Was that what you were upset about last night when I called you?"

Evelyn nods, noticing that for some reason, Tony looks relieved by her answer. "I'm sorry if I caused you to worry," she apologizes genuinely. "And I am sorry that I made you do all of this for me, I can-"

"Evie, Evie – stop apologizing," Tony interrupts.

"I'm-"

He raises up a hand to shut her up from saying 'I'm sorry' again. "And, as for all of this. I did this out of my own free will because I care about you_uurr_ past." He clears his throat, shifting uncomfortable in his seat.

Evelyn bashfully smiles. "Well...Since you went through all this trouble, I suppose it's worth a look." She giggles. "We're off to New York!" She cheers and throws her hands up in the air. "Gosh, I miss New York. Hey, while we're there, can we swing by my apartment real quick? That way you don't have to buy me clothes."

Tony shrugs and grins. "Sure, no problem. I'd love to see where you live."

Evelyn shyly bites her bottom lip and a warm feeling spreads throughout her chest. Dang he's good! Tony turns into the strip way of the airport, parking in front of a large white jet with bold, blue letters on the side reading: Stark Industries. Evelyn bounces on the seat, face pressing up against the window. She squeals with excitement. She's never been on a private plane before.

A flight attendant and the pilot wait outside of the plane, next to the steps leading inside of Tony's jet. And when Evelyn and Tony climb out of the car, Evelyn could have sworn that she saw the blonde flight attendant scowl in her direction, and she crosses her arms over her chest and huffs. However, Evelyn is too excited by flying on Tony's plane to really pay any attention to why the flight attendant might not like her.

"Everything ready for take off, Larry?" Tony asks, strolling up to the pilot.

"Ready to leave when your are, Mr. Stark." Larry the pilot nods. "And who is this?" he looks to Evelyn.

"Oh, right. Evie, this is Larry, my personal flight captain. Larry, this is Evie," Tony introduces.

"Hi, Larry." Evie waves enthusiastically.

"Pleasure to meet you, Evie," Larry replies, politely dipping his head once.

"And this is Mary. She's going to be our flight attendant." Tony points to the blonde woman. "Whenever you want something, call her and she'll get it for you."

"Cool." Evelyn nods. "But don't worry, I probably won't even ask for anything," she directs to Mary.

"All right." Tony claps. "Lets go to New York!"

"Yay!" Evelyn cheers, running up the stairs and into the plane. "Wow," she gasps. The plane is luxurious – cream interior, spacious, comfortable chairs and a couch, a large TV screen, and there are even tables bolted to the floor. And when Evelyn sits down on one of the chairs, she coos out at the feel of the cool, soft material. _This is what heaven must be like._

"Like it?" Tony raises a brow. An amused smile is on his face, and his eyes shine bright. He sits on the seat in front of Evelyn's, slouching and looking exactly at home, comfortable. He must be on the plane a lot.

Evelyn nods, bringing her knees up to her chest and tucking her feet underneath her bum. "Are you kidding me?" She tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear. "This is the most amazing place I've ever been in – ever. It's both sad and exhilarating at the same time."

Tony chuckles, and Evelyn giggles. They lock gazes, taking each other in. Evelyn is still completely baffled on exactly why Tony is doing so much for her, when they only knew each other for a few days. But, with Tony, she feels at ease; like she can tell him anything. They just click. The moment is interrupted when Mary begins speaking through the intercom, instructing Tony and Evelyn to fasten their seat belts for take off.

They're going to New York. And Evelyn is both scared and excited. Excited because she misses the bustling city, but scared because they're not going there for fun; they're going there to go to...The Place...

_Oh no.._. Evelyn gulps.


	7. Curious Case of Evelyn Addams

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © __F0REVERM0RE_   
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

**Chapter Seven:**  
Tony Stark and the Curious Case of Evelyn Addams

* * *

"_Hello? Is anyone there?" Evelyn cries out. She is surrounded by darkness. Her hands are outstretched in front of her trying to feel for something – anything, but she swipes at nothing but air. A thick fog is at her feet, concealing everything from sight from her ankles, down._

_(Clank)_

_Evelyn's head snaps in the direction of the noise and she finds herself running towards it. "Hello?" Her chest heaves up and down, breath coming out in ragged gasps. Suddenly the darkness becomes thick and heavy, pushing upon Evelyn's shoulders with an invisible force – suffocating her._

_A woman's laugh comes from all directions: from above, from Evelyn's left, from Evelyn's right. _

"_Hello?" Evelyn cries out, spinning around in circles, trying to find whomever is toying with her. But no matter which way she looks, she cannot see past the thick, white fog building up around her. The air becomes cold and frigid. Evelyn wraps her arms around herself in a lame attempt to hold in some warmth._

_(Eeerrr)_

_The sound of a door creaking open comes from Evelyn's right. Turning her head, she is blinded by a bright light. Her hand hovers over her eyes, shielding them from the blinding beam. And when her eyes adjust to the blinding light, a shadow steps in front of the open doorway. It is a woman, judging by the curves of her hips and breasts and the long black locks of her hair, falling all the way down to her elbows in matted knots._

"_See how you like it," says the woman. Evelyn recognizes the voice: it is the woman whom was taunting her in her room, after she watched those tapes. Evelyn panics. Her heart pounds rapidly in her ribcage and her body knows what is coming next before her brain does._

"_NOO!" Evelyn screams, running for the door. But no matter how fast her legs were moving, it was as if she wasn't getting any closer. In fact, it looked as if with every step forward, she was getting farther and farther away from the light and her only exit from this prison. And then, just like the snap of her fingers, she was too late. The woman took a step back and closed the door. Evelyn is concealed in darkness once more, without an escape. "NO!" she continues to scream and beg to be let out, running around in all directions, looking for a way out of the suffocating and dense fog._

"_AH!" she screams. Something latches hold of her ankle, dragging her down to the floor. Evelyn's chin roughly hits the ground, and the taste of copper fills her mouth. Flopping over on her back, she tries to untangle the black mass constricting her leg. To her horror, however, the mass creeps up her leg- squeezing. Evelyn screams, trying to pull free, but it is futile. She cannot break free._

"_SOMEONE, HELP!" she cries out. "Help! Help me!" Yelping, the same black mass wraps around both of her wrists, pulling her to the ground. Evelyn is on her back trying to wiggle free from the hold, but the harder she tries, the tighter the binds get. Again, the woman crackles, her laugh filling and deafening Evelyn's hearing._

"Evie! Evie wake up...EVIE!"

Jolting awake, a scream escapes from between Evelyn's lips. She continues to scream, clawing at Tony's back. Her nails dig through the fabric of his shirt, clutching fistfuls of the material in her hands. Her face is pressed up against his chest as he holds her close. And then they fall. Evelyn painfully lands on her back, the plush carpeting not providing any form of cushion at all, and Tony lands on top of her. Her eyes are wide, and her throat burns with every breath she takes. Tears stream freely down the sides of her cheeks.

"Evie?" Tony cups Evelyn's flushed cheeks, brushing aside her damp hair which sticks to her sweaty face. "Evie? Evie look at me. Look at me...Shhh...Look at me." Evelyn gazes into Tony's ever alert eyes. He searches her face, gently running his fingertips across her forehead. "You're all right. You're all right. I'm right here- you're all right."

"...What's happening to me...?" Evelyn murmurs wetly.

"I don't know," Tony answers softly. "But we're gonna find out. Together. Larry? You got control of the plane?" he bellows over his shoulder, but doesn't break eye contact with Evelyn. Actually, he doesn't make any signs of getting off of her. Evelyn's brows furrow by Tony's question. Had Larry lost control of the plane?

"We're good!" Larry calls back. "Everything okay back there?"

"We're good," Tony replies.

Evelyn's head lazily falls to the side, and her eyes land on Mary, the flight attendant, who is cowering at the back corner of the plane, staring at Evelyn with a horrified expression on her pretty, painted face. "You freak!" she screams. "What the fuck is wrong with you? You could have killed us!"

_Killed...?_ Evelyn looks back up at Tony, mouth agape. But Tony isn't looking at her. He is glaring to his side, at Mary.

"You're fired," he snaps. "When we land, find your own way back home."

"Are you serious?" Mary gawks. "Why are you siding with her? She could have brought this whole plane down – killing all of us!" she argues. Her face slacks, and she points a shaky, accusing finger at Tony. "Yo-you're doing something to her. She's a freak experiment, isn't she? Fuck this! Fuck you! When we land, I'm telling! I'm telling everyone!"

Tony's jaw is set. He turns his gaze down to Evelyn, and asks, "You all right?" And she nods. "I think it's time I tell you something," he mumbles, lifting himself off of her while helping her up in the process. "At first I thought that it was nothing, just some freaky writing, but you said that strange things have been happening to you ever since you read out of your mother's diary, right?" Again, Evelyn nods. Tony has her file in his hands and his lips part to speak, but then he looks warily towards Mary, who is still huddled up against the far side of the plane. "Let's go to the room." Tony gestures with his head towards a cream colored door that Evelyn hadn't noticed before.

The room turns out to be a private bedroom. It is small and only has room for a king-sized mattress and compact closet.

Evelyn sits down on the soft mattress, making sure to face Tony. "How long was I asleep for?" she asks. The flight from Miami to New York shouldn't take long. About four to five hours, tops.

"'bout ten minutes," Tony answers without looking up from the folder in his hands. He finds a certain page that he wants and then extends it to Evelyn. Taking it from his hand, she sees that it is a print out of the strange text that she had read from her mother's journal, and underneath that text, Evelyn discovers that Tony was able to decipher it.

"Power of Drusilla-" she begins to read out, just above a whisper.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Tony intervenes. He sits next to her on the bed. The mattress sinks at his weight, and Evelyn gently falls over, her shoulder coming in contact with his. But she doesn't bother to shift away. She is too engrossed with finding out what she had read.

"Who is Drusilla?" Evelyn asks Tony.

He shrugs. "Don't know," he succinctly replies.

"This sounds like some spell," Evelyn humorlessly laughs, unknowingly voicing Tony's exact thoughts when he first read the translation.

"Your mother was in to some serious shit," Tony mutters.

Evelyn sucks her lips into her mouth, silently agreeing. "Serious shit." She nods in sync with each word. Evelyn doesn't normally like cussing; she hates bad words; but she isn't exactly in her right mind at the moment. Scratching the back of her head, she heavily inhales and exhales. "I-"

"No," Tony interrupts.

"You don't even know what I was going to say." Evelyn gawks.

"Yes I do," he replies. "You were going to say that you would understand if I don't want to be around you anymore because of all this freaky shit. Well, I've got news for you: you're stuck with me."

"But why?" Evelyn whines, childishly throwing her head back. "No normal person would want to be around me."

"Well, who ever said that I'm normal?" Tony replies with a raised brow.

"You look normal," Evelyn lamely answers.

"Well so do you, and look how that turned out," he retorts. Evelyn snorts, blowing air out of her mouth- lips vibrating. "Besides, I'm a huge fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's: Sherlock Holmes." Tony winks at Evelyn, a smile on his lips. "This could be the first case and beginning of Stark Investigations."

"Stark Investigations?" Evelyn bites her bottom lip, hoping to contain the laugh hitched in her throat.

"You saying you wouldn't hire me?" Tony teases. But Evelyn is too busy trying to hold in her laughter to reply. "Picture it: 'Tony Stark and the Curious Case of Evelyn Addams'. It's a best seller, just with the title alone."

"Oh yes," Evelyn sarcastically replies while nodding. "I would totally buy that book."

"It could also be a movie. We've already got the plot: Kind—yet _devilishly_ handsome—stranger helps a seemingly harmless woman whom is stranded on the side of the road with a broken Ford. Almost immediately, she falls madly in love with him-"

"So I'm in love with you now?" Evelyn cuts off, giggling.

"Evie. Come on." Tony gestures to himself as if saying: 'Look at me. I'm awesome.' And Evelyn couldn't help but laugh, again. "Anyway," Tony continues. "After man kindly helps the woman, out of the kindness of his heart-"

"Yes. We've already established that you are the knight in shinning armor," Evelyn inputs, a wide smile stretched across her face.

"Good. Because we cannot stress enough how kind this man is," Tony expresses. "So, back to our story," he clears his throat and Evelyn nods, waiting for him to go on. "Turns out, the woman isn't as she appears. She has a secret, but, here's the twist — not even _she_ knows what the secret is."

"_Ooh_." Evelyn's mouth forms the shape of the letter 'O', impressed.

"And together-"

"Because the man is God's gift to the world," Evelyn teases.

"Exactly." Tony winks. "Together, they unravel the woman's mystery past—going through a few obstacles, which we have yet to go through, of course—and along the way, the woman falls even more in love with the man-"

"So I fall more in love with you?" Evelyn questions with a raised brow. "Aren't I already _madly_ in love with you? What's more than that?"

"Let me finish." Tony raises a finger. "So, you're even more madly in love with me, and, well, that's all I've got so far."

Evelyn laughs. "Wow, that's...that's bad. That's a really bad story plot."

"It is, isn't it?" Tony replies.

"The title is great, though," Evelyn remarks.

"Oh, the title is the best," he agrees.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

Mary storms out of the plane as soon as Larry lands in New York. Larry, however, stays behind and is a surprising ally with Evelyn's situation. He had spoken about growing up in a highly religious family, and that his uncle even became a priest and a certified demonologist and exorcist. He then went on to say that he once saw his uncle perform a exorcism, and believes that demons truly exist. But what Evelyn is wary of, is that Larry said that she may have become possessed, and not only allowed for a demon to come into her body when she spoke out loud those Latin words, but called for a specific demon. A demon named Drusilla. Evelyn asked him if he knew who this, Drusilla, person was, but unfortunately Larry didn't. He apologized, said that he would look into it, and then Tony and Evelyn left him at the airport because he said that he needed to do some paperwork for the plane.

Though it is around ten in the morning, Evelyn is still exhausted. She and Tony hail a cab and Tony gives the driver the address to a building that Evelyn has seen only a handful of times, from the outside: Stark Tower. Baffled, because she thought that it was just an office building, she just decided to not voice her confusion because Tony is doing so much for her; she doesn't want to be a complainer. He's the CEO of a major world-wide company, and probably needs to do something important.

"Aren't you worried about Mary bad mouthing your company?" Evelyn asks Tony, bringing her legs up onto the backseat of the taxi and tucking her feet underneath her bum.

"Nah." Tony waves off dismissively. "The media would either think her crazy or just a spiteful woman I've scorn. You'd be surprised how many journalists call, asking for confirmation about reported rumors. But anything dealing with the business of my company, they don't touch. They're more interested in whom I been sleeping with or what style of clothing I'm wearing."

"Ouch." Evelyn scrunches up her nose. "That is a major invasion of your privacy."

Tony leisurely shrugs. "I've never really bothered in trying to hide my personal life."

"Why not?"

"Because they'll find out sooner or later; make something out of the whole ordeal bigger than what it really was. And because I choose to be completely open and truthful about myself, they can't deliver a low blow. I'll never be ashamed or surprised with what they throw at me," Tony answers.

Evelyn gazes at Tony with utter admiration. "Wow," she murmurs. He smiles in return.

When the cab pulls up in front of the towering building, Evelyn steps out onto the sidewalk- barefoot. Staring down at her feet, she wiggles her toes as they come in contact with the cool cement.

Tony places his hand on the small of Evelyn's back and he leads her into the building. He is greeted by the security guards seated behind the front desk of the lobby.

"Morning, Mr. Stark."

"Keep up the good work." Tony clicks his tongue and points an encouraging finger at the two security guards. He leads Evelyn around the front desk and to a golden elevator protected by the guards. He fishes out a key from his pocket and inserts it into the key slot underneath the elevator's call button. After turning the key, he presses the button with his thumb.

Evelyn steps into the elevator Tony called for and shyly waves at the two guards whom are watching them with keen eyes; both men kindly wave back. Evelyn releases the breath that she hadn't realized she's been holding in when the doors slide close and the elevator travels upwards.

"Nervous?" Tony reads Evelyn's exact thoughts. And Evelyn nods. "Why?" He grins.

"Just tired I guess." Evelyn shrugs, scratching the back of her head. She's been bunged up and stiff ever since the incident on the plane. Well, except for when she and Tony were talking about his book/movie idea. He helps takes her mind off of her problems, and that makes her feel...feel good. But how long will this last? What will happen between them once they unravel her past or after she gets the lead role in _Swan Lake_? Would he go on with his life as if he never met her? Would they still be friends?

"Don't worry." Tony drapes an arm around Evelyn's shoulder. "We'll get some rest before we go to your apartment."

Evelyn nods in agreement, pinching the bridge of her nose. When she opens her eyes, the elevator doors open and her jaw slacks. Releasing a low whistle, she says, "Schmancy." Apparently Stark Towers isn't just an office building. Well, at least not the entire top floor. "I thought that this was just an office building?" she directs to Tony from over her shoulder. The floor, as she stepped out of the elevator, is made of pure, black marble and is smooth and clean of any dirt, and Ellie loves the feel on the bottoms of her feet.

"The rest of the building is," says Tony. "This is the main head quarters for my international contracts. And I prefer a more homey feel than I do hotel rooms, so I made the entire top floor my home away from home."

"Nice," Evelyn states, strolling around the living room. At the center, the floor drops down a step and morphs from marble to soft beige carpet. The entire penthouse is circular and the wall opposite the elevator is made entirely of windows, leading out to a wide and spacious balcony that overlooks a breathtaking view of all of Manhattan. Evelyn's hand runs across the back of a dark velvet couch that takes up half of the sitting room space; in front of it, a short glass coffee table and a few black, leather single seats. At the left, there is a bar/kitchen and open office area complete with a desk large, comfortable looking scrolling chair; and at the right is a marble fireplace and a pair of double-doors, which are closed. And the ceiling, there hangs a very modern chandelier complete with florescent light bulbs.

Done with marveling over how beautiful the penthouse is, Evelyn turns back to Tony and sees him staring at her. Her face becomes warm. "What?" she asks, self-cautious.

Tony shakes his head, his face soft. "Nothing." The corner of his lip rises and he breaks their gaze. "Let me show you where you can sleep."

Tony walks over to the closed double-doors and opens them. Evelyn follows close behind and her eyes brighten at the new room. The bed is a king-size and in pristine condition; it's so pretty that Evelyn doesn't want to sleep in it because she'll mess it up. There is another door, which is open, revealing a lavish bathroom. Opposite the bathroom, the wall is made of windows showing yet another breathtaking view of the city, lighting the entire room with natural light.

Tony swaggers to the window and touches the glass. A section of the window lights up like a computer monitor and Tony's fingers expertly move across the glass; he makes the windows tint, making the room grow dim and just light enough for Evelyn to still see the silhouette of his figure.

"Where will you sleep?" Evelyn asks. She just realized that there is only one pair of doors that she saw, meaning that there is no other bedroom.

"I'm not tired, don't worry about me," says Tony. Evelyn knows that he is lying; to her he looks absolutely exhausted.

"The couch looks comfortable," she says from observation. "I'll sleep there and you can keep your room."

"Now what kind of prick do you think I am if I let a lady sleep on the couch when there is a perfectly good bed for her to use?" Tony quips, stepping up to Evelyn.

"Well, what kind of person do you think _I am_ if I let someone sleep on the hard, uncomfortable couch while I have the comfy bed?" Evelyn retorts.

"I thought you said the couch looked comfortable?"

"I lied."

A grin stretches across Tony's face, and the corner of his eyes crinkle. "Tell you what. As long as you can keep your hands to yourself, I'll share the bed with you."

Evelyn raises a brow. "Oh, as long as I keep _my_ hands to myself?"

"Yep," Tony replies. He sits on the edge of the bed and begins taking off his shoes.

"Okay, I'll try," Evelyn says dryly. Since she is already barefoot she just climbs on the bed, pulling back the covers. _Oh God, is this 100% cotton?_ she inwardly moans, hugging the covers close to her body. So soft and smooth. She readily takes off her glasses and puts them on the nightstand next to a lamp.

A few minutes pass before Evelyn feels the indent of the mattress beside her as Tony gets into bed. She turns over on her side and sees that he had changed into a pair of sweatpants and a rock-tee.

"I was wondering. How did you convince Emily to let you in the house at five in the morning? She hates you– no offense," she quickly adds, cheeks flushing.

Tony sighs as he settles into a comfortable position on his back. "Oh, nothing," Tony says, tone light. "Just that I would make her my permanent caterer."

Evelyn softly gasps. "Did you lie?" she whispers, as if she's a little girl telling a secret.

"Nah, I love her food," he answers. "I should ask her if she wants to be my personal chief. Do you think that she'll do it? I've been told by my employees that I pay a ridiculous amount of money."

Smiling, Evelyn shakes her head and snuggles into her pillow. Funny. Just a moment ago she was exhausted, but now that she's actually in bed, ready to fall asleep, she's wide awake, which she verbally tells Tony. "Have you ever been in bed and can't fall asleep?" she asks.

"All the time," he says. "Can't sleep?" he asks her.

"No." Evelyn shakes her head. "But I'll stay quite and let you sleep."

"I told you that I'm not tired," says Tony.

"Restlessly awake," Evelyn notes. Tony nods in agreement. "...What happened on the plane?" she softly asks. "While I was asleep."

Tony shifts so that he is on his side, facing her. "You looked peaceful, at first. But then the ride started to get bumpy, like turbulence, and Larry began reporting mechanical problems – loss of communications...the radar. We were flying blind and I was afraid that we would have to do an emergency evac. Oddly you were still asleep during the whole thing, but then...you screamed...like you were in pain..."

Evelyn thinks back to the dream she was having before she woke up — the darkness, the thick, suffocating fog, the bindings and, most notably, the unknown woman and having no escape. She was trapped. No; held, like a prisoner. She feels a soft pressure on her cheek, and she blinks out of her daze. Tony is cupping her face with his left hand, gently rubbing his thumb across her lips and face.

"You started thrashing in your seat, and I tried to wake you up, but no matter what I did- you wouldn't wake. You began levitating in the air, still screaming. I tried to hold you down-"

"Stop," Evelyn says wetly. Tears blur her vision. She knows the rest. She licks her lips, placing her hand on top of Tony's, which is still on her face. Without much thought, she brings his hand to her lips and plants a soft kiss on his thumb. "Thank you," she whispers.

"Anytime," Tony responds.

Tony brushes back Evelyn's hair, running his fingertips along her neck and shoulder blade, pushing aside the spaghetti-strap of her tank top in the process. At the feel of his light and gentle touch, Evelyn shudders at the tingling sensation traveling down her spine; goosebumps engulf her entire body. His fingertips continue to roam her body, moving from her shoulder blade, down to the top of her chest, trailing down, between her breast. Evelyn releases a shaky breath, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth and biting it. It's been a long while since someone last touched her like this. A long while.

"What happened to keeping our hands to ourselves?" Evelyn remarks, just above a whisper.

"Funny. I remember that I specifically said that it is _you_ that should keep _your_ hands to yourself, not me," he replies, tentatively rubbing circles against her skin. He withdrawals his hand, but only to shift his body closer to Evelyn's. He rests his entire weight on his forearm, and his left knee nestles itself between her thighs. He stares down at her, peering straight into her eyes with such warmth and held back passion. His gaze travels down her body and to his hand, which is resting on her knee. Slowly his hand moves upwards, sliding up her bare leg and to the ends of her shorts. He tightly grasps her outer-thigh, causing for Evelyn to gasp and her back arch, her chest pushing up and onto his chest. Tony's head dips low, planting an open-mouthed kiss on her neck- sucking and nipping at her skin. Evelyn moans. Her hands grip the sides of his arms, squeezing. His lips move up her neck, along her chin and press firmly against her mouth. His body lowers onto hers, and Evelyn's legs open, accepting him.

Wrapping her legs around his lean waist, Evelyn's hips grind into Tony's, and for the first time, he releases a guttural sound from his throat, grinding back and sighing into her mouth. Her arms wrap around his neck, and her fingers entangle themselves in his hair, rubbing his scalp and deepening the heated kiss.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

Evelyn wakes with a yawn and a stretch. Rubbing her eyes, she sloppily reaches for her glasses on the nightstand, also turning on the lamp, and puts them on. Blinking until her vision is clear, she rolls over onto her side and slides her arms underneath her pillow. She smiles, biting her bottom lip as she watches Tony sleep peacefully beside her. He is on his front, his arm sprawled out at his sides and his mouth is open, a line of drool staining his pillow.

"Completely dead to the world," she murmurs under her breath.

Evelyn's eyes roam down Tony's back. Her brow furrows when she notices faint red marks. Leaning closer, Evelyn discovers that they are scratch marks on the small of Tony's back. She takes a look at her nails; they are neatly trimmed and filed, but when she touches the scratch marks, they are an exact match with her fingernails.

"The plane," she whispers. She remembers clawing at Tony when he was holding her tightly close to him after she had her episode.

"The what?" Tony mumbles, stirring from his slumber. He wipes his chin, and the drool. "What time is it?" Evelyn shrugs. Tony reaches for his watch on the nightstand opposite of Evelyn's side of the bed. "3 P.M.. Time to wake up." He sighs and sits up, rubbing the back of his neck. "Where's your apartment at?"

"Downtown. Above the Starlight Studio," says Evelyn. "I share an apartment complex with the other dancers from the company."

"Really?" Tony asks. And Evelyn nods. "You wanna take a shower before we leave, or would you rather wait till we get to your place?"

"I don't have any clothes to change into." Evelyn hugs the covers to her naked chest, sitting Indian-style underneath the sheets. Tony stands freely and unafraid of his nakedness. Evelyn's entire face heats up and she diverts her gaze away. The realization that she and Tony had..._done it_...slaps her across the face. _Oh my God._ Her face slacks and her eyes widen.

"I'm sure I can find something that you can wear temporarily," Tony says, breaking Evelyn out of her inner-panic. He seems totally unfazed that they had slept together.

_Well, he has been in this situation before,_ Evelyn reminds herself. _A lot._ She then begins to worry that perhaps, to Tony, what they had done is just a one time thing. A fling. Her heart drops in her chest. Of course it's only a one time thing. She's not girlfriend material; not for Tony Stark at least. He deserves a supermodel, an actress or musician- someone NOT a lowly ballet dancer, like Evelyn is. _Or a personal assistant,_ Evelyn remembers Tony mentions of Pepper in horror. _Oh crap-o-la! I'm a horrible person. This totally is not going to help them get together. _She gnaws at her bottom lip. Evelyn then decides to keep her mouth shut. Maybe if she doesn't mention the...sleeping together...then Tony won't mention it either?

"Here. Those should work for awhile." Tony tosses onto the bed some sweatpants with drawstrings and a white tank top. "You wanna use the shower first? Or do you want to conserve water and share?" His brows wiggles suggestively.

Evelyn has to laugh at the comical expression on his face. She gets off the bed, wrapping a sheet around herself. "I'll be quick," she says, heading into the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

"Tease!" Tony's voice echoes from behind the closed door.

True to her word, Evelyn is out of the shower and dressed in Tony's clothes in fifteen minutes. She tried to leave as little mess as possible since this isn't her house. Towel drying her hair, Evelyn ventures out into the main room and spots Tony behind the bar, shirtless. Evelyn hopes that he is at least wearing bottoms, because she doesn't think that she could take any more of his nakedness without turning red as a tomato and probably end up hyperventilating.

"Hey. Hungry?" he asks, blending some fruit in a blender.

"Sure." Evelyn nods, sitting on a stool in front of the bar. She could use a smoothy. "Shower's free."

"All right...Drink that up, and I'll be out in a jiffy." Tony pours a glass of the thick, pink liquid and slides it over to Evelyn. And when he walks around the bar, towards the bathroom, Evelyn mentally confirms that he is wearing sweatpants.

"Thank goodness," she sighs, taking a drink from the glass. "Mmm, that's good," she remarks to herself, staring into the glass.

By the time Evelyn finishes her second smoothy—Don't judge her!—Tony emerges from the bedroom, fully dressed in a pair of comfortable looking jeans and a gray long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He checks his watch and tells Evelyn, "Visiting hours at the hospital are until 6, so we've got some time, but we still shouldn't take too long. There still is a forty-five minute drive to the state hospital."

Evelyn nods in understanding. She places her glass in the sink and slides off of the stool, standing. "Okay. I'll just change real quick and be out in no time. My apartment is only about half-an-hour away, going by subway time."

"Subway time?" Tony asks.

"I don't really drive much," Evelyn bashfully reveals.

"We'll take one of my cars," says Tony. He heads over to a key-rack on the wall near the elevator doors. The rack has four different keys hanging on the hooks.

"You have cars here too?" Evelyn says, amazed.

"Only four," Tony replies as if having four spare cars is nothing.

"_Pft_, only four?" Evelyn sarcastically scoffs.

Tony slowly twists around in Evelyn's direction. "Are you making fun of me?"

Evelyn snickers in response. "No," she says, but at the same time she is nodding.

"Ha-ha," he sarcastically laughs. "Let's go."

Evelyn trots over to the elevator and pushes the down button. Almost immediately the doors slide open and she and Tony enter. However, this time Tony pushes the last button on the bottom of both the up and down buttons. The elevator stops and the doors open, revealing a private car garage. Parked in the four spaces are the four cars that Tony mentioned — all extremely expensive looking and shiny.

Tony presses a button the key remote and a black Mercedes beeps, the headlights flashing twice. Evelyn gets in the passenger's seat and Tony gets into the driver's. The garage door opens up to the busy New York streets, but as if knowing that Tony Stark is pulling out of his garage, there magically is a space for him to drive into.

"Your place is at the Starlight Studio, right?" he double-checks.

"Yeah." Evelyn nods. "It's the company's private practice studio."

"Sweet." Tony whistles. "How long have you been with them?"

"Well, I transferred from San Francisco when I was nineteen, so...ten years."

"Wow." Tony's tone holds impression. "And how long have you been dancing for?"

"From what I could remember...Ever since I was thirteen," Evelyn answers truthfully. "My mom started teaching me as soon as I got out from...The Place...And I started dancing professionally when I was fourteen."

"After only one year of practice? That's amazing."

"It came natural to me." Evelyn shrugs. "I must've known how to dance before I lost my memory."

Tony briefly takes his eyes off of the road, glancing over at Evelyn. "We're going to figure out what happened to you, Evie. All the answers are with Dr. Andrew Macintosh at the state hospital."

Evelyn remembers the name from her file. Dr. Macintosh was her main psychiatrist when sh e was a patient at the hospital. "I sure hope so," she heavily sighs. They begin coming up to the Starlight Studio, and she says, "You can park across the street. It's free for the dancers." Evelyn points to the garage park across the street from her apartment complex. Tony pulls into the parking garage and luckily finds a space on the first level. "Do you have a pen and paper?" asks Evelyn.

"Uh...I think so." Tony rummages through the car and finds some scrap paper and a pencil. Evelyn takes the two objects and begins writing a note. "What are you writing?" asks Tony.

"A note saying that I live across the street and number for conformation, just in case they look into it," Evelyn answers. "Done." She takes the paper and gets out of the car, placing it on the windshield, underneath the windshield wiper. She clamps her hands together, spinning on the balls of her feet in Tony's direction. "Ready to see my apartment?" she asks, tone light. But before Tony could answer, Evelyn gasps. "Ooh, no. Maybe you shouldn't see my apartment," she mumbles, scratching the back of her head. "I don't remember if I cleaned it before I left for Emily's...Maybe you should just wait in the- Tony, wait up!" Evelyn runs after Tony, who is already crossing the street.

"You are not going to stop me from seeing where you lived for the past ten years," Tony comments, walking in a fast pace to the front doors of the Starlight Studio. "What level are you on?"

"Third floor; but I don't want you to see my mess," Evelyn whines.

The Starlight Studio doesn't have an elevator, so she and Tony head up the stairs to the third floor. On the way up, Evelyn and Tony pass by a few of the other dancers; they stop in their tracks and gawk at the two. They literally step off to the side so that Evelyn and Tony could have room to pass through to Evelyn's apartment. Murmurs and chatter whisper in the air, and fingers point at the odd couple, but Evelyn and Tony casually ignore them without much difficulty.

"It can't be that bad. You're overreacting," Tony scoffs.

Evelyn's apartment is 4C, and she darts in front of him, covering her door. "Okay," she says, "I will let you in, but close your eyes first."

"What? Really?" Tony laughs.

"Just in case if it's messy and I have to do a quick clean up," Evelyn replies. "So don't open your eyes until I give you permission to open them."

"You're serious?"

"Completely."

Tony stares at Evelyn for a few moments, and then sighs in defeat. "Fine." He closes his eyes.

"No peeking." Evelyn points at his face.

"No peeking," Tony repeats.

"You know what..." Evelyn takes Tony's hands and positions them over his eyes for added measure. "There."

"Feel better?" Tony questions sarcastically.

"Extremely." Evelyn turns around and opens her door, which isn't locked. Everyone knows everyone here at the complex, so none of the dancers really ever lock their doors. And if someone dares to break in (which has yet to happened) the dancers get full coverage for whatever gets stolen. "Oh, wow, I guess I did clean up before I left," Evelyn comments, noticing that her apartment is not as dirty as she thought it would be.

Tony uncovers his eyes and casts Evelyn an irritated glance. She smiles innocently in response.

Evelyn lives in a studio apartment without a bathroom, which she shares one with the other girls on her floor in a separate room at the end of the hallway (The male dancers have the top four floors, while the girls have the bottom four). She has a twin-sized bed centered in the room with baby blue sheets and large, fully white pillows. The floor is hardwood, perfect for practicing and warming up; Evelyn loves to slide/skate around on the floor in her ballet shoes and socks. On the left side of the bed is a complete kitchenette, and on the right, against the wall, is a double-sized closet wardrobe and a bookshelf filled with various CDs, her stereo and some books- mostly teen fantasy; she loves to read about fictional, forbidden love. And Evelyn secretly prays that Tony doesn't notice that she has all three books of '50 Shades of Grey'. It has a crap storyline, but oh God does she feel naughty whenever she reads the porno-like book. Plastered all over the walls are posters and pictures of Manhattan's Theater district and professional shots taken from her mother's dance portfolio. Her apartment is small, but comfortable. She loves it. Made just for her. She doesn't exactly get a lot of visitors anyway; doesn't have much friends.

"Uh...make yourself comfortable while I change," Evelyn tells Tony. "If you're thirsty or hungry, there is some snacks in the refrigerator and the glasses are in the cabinet at the far right."

Tony steps around the apartment. "I can't believe how small this apartment is. It's actually shocking," he comments. "My bathroom is bigger than this."

"Well, only I live in it...So...It's fine," says Evelyn.

"You realize, I can actually move from one side of this apartment to the other in, like, three seconds. Watch this." Tony steps off, counting out loud as he walked from one side of Evelyn's apartment to the other. "One...Two...Wow, my mistake, it is two seconds. Hm. I'm usually good at math."

Evelyn shrugs off Tony, leaving him to do whatever he pleases. He's lived his whole life with the finer things in life, so it must come as a shock to him to see that people are perfectly capable of living in small, cramped apartments just for one.

"You don't even have a bathroom!" He can still be heard in the background as Evelyn opens her wardrobe. She had packed most of her things for her trip to stay with Emily, so she doesn't have much to choose from to wear to the hospital. Taking out a simple white sundress, she drapes it on her bed and then goes back to the wardrobe to get a pair of ballet flat shoes. However, when she realizes that she needs to change, she remembers that she doesn't have anything to change behind, shielding herself from Tony's view.

"You know what? I need to get you out of here, fast. Pack a bag, you're staying with me at the penthouse. What's the matter?" Tony asks, noticing Evelyn's quietness.

"Hm? Nothing." Evelyn blinks out of her thoughts. "I'm just going to go to the bathroom at the end of the hall to change. I'll be back."

"Why can't you change right here?"

"Because there is nothing for me to change behind," Evelyn answers obviously.

"Need I remind you that I've already seen you naked _twice_?" Tony grins mischievously, eyes twinkling. "And once in your underwear, which we got in trouble for."

"...Oh, that's right, you did...But can you still turn around please?" Evelyn asks, flashing Tony her famous puppy-dog pout.

"Fine," Tony replies as if it is a complete burden to turn around and not see Evelyn change.

Once his back is facing her, Evelyn hastily changes into the sundress. "Okay, you can look now," she announces.

"I've already been looking," Tony replies. "I can see your reflection on the mirror," he says, pointing to Evelyn's full-length mirror that is upright beside her bed, which is also faced in her direction, giving Tony a complete view of herself.

"Tony!" Evelyn complains.

"What?" Tony laughs, turning around to look at her. "There's nothing wrong with me seeing you change when I've already seen you completely naked not even, like, a couple of hours ago. You shouldn't be shy about your body, Evie," he says, stepping up to her and placing his hands on the side of her arms.

"I know...It's just-" Evelyn is cut off when there is a knock at her door. "That's strange," she mutters. "Nobody ever knocks on my door."

"Ever?" asks Tony.

"Ever," Evelyn repeats. She opens the door and is taken by surprise when she sees a couple of her fellow dancers standing at her doorway, each holding something, be it a bottle of wine, some plants, and one is even holding a gallon of milk. "Uh...Can I help you?" she asks slowly, completely puzzled.

"Evie!" All the girls squeal with false excitement, crowding into her apartment and giving her awkward hugs. "Welcome back. Here, we brought you some presents." They each over stuff Evelyn's arms with their gifts, which they obviously just grabbed randomly from their own apartments. "Oh, hello." And all attention veers to Tony.

_Of course,_ Evelyn inwardly sighs. Of course all the females would notice that Tony Stark has entered the building.

"Ladies," Tony politely greets, smiling a charming smile.

Evelyn's tiny apartment becomes overcrowded to where she has to push her way past the girls in order to reach the kitchenette and dump all her "gifts" on the counter. Woman's squeals, laughter and voices fill the apartment air and Evelyn can't hear her own thoughts. She stands on the tips of her toes to try and see over the towering heads of her fellow dancers, but she still couldn't catch of glimpse of Tony.

"Oh God, they ate him," she says under her breath. "Tony?" she calls over the many voices, shoving her way past the girls, but she ends up getting pushed side to side like a ping-pong ball. These women don't even care that this is her apartment that they are invading. "Tony?" she calls again.

A hand grasps Evelyn's forearm, and she yelps. Sharply turning to face the culprit, she finds Tony standing before her.

"We gotta go!" he shouts over the voices. Women claw at him, tugging at his hair, shirt and jeans- trying to gain his attention. With his fingers wrapped firmly around Evelyn's arm, Tony weaves through the dancers with surprising experience (Probably from dodging through paparazzi and other crazed admirers). Evelyn struggles to keep up with Tony's long strides as he rushes down the stairs and out of the building.

"So much for packing a bag," she comments, jogging over to the passenger's seat of his Mercedes. Both she and Tony get into the car. "Do you think it would be safe to come back later?" she asks.

"Evie, I don't think it's safe to come back ever," he replies, driving out into the road.

Evelyn slouches in her seat, her body going lax.

"...Sorry," Tony apologizes after a moment of silence.

"For what?" Evelyn asks, baffled.

"Everywhere I go, I can't be left alone," he says. "There's always someone watching." He sighs, lips pursed, and his gaze is hard as he stares out at the road. "And whenever I'm seen with someone, they too aren't left alone. Especially when it's with a woman. I just robbed you of your privacy, and I'm sorry for that. I never wanted for you to go through what just happened at your apartment."

"Tony, it's fine."

"No. No it's not," he argues. He glances at her, his eyes full of genuine apology and hurt.

"Yes. Yes it is," she says, smiling softly. "If that is the price I have to pay in order to hang out with you, then so be it."

"They're going to totally hate you, you know that, right?" The corner of his lip rises.

"Bring it on." Evelyn tries to act like a gangster: puckering her lips like a duck, repeatedly moving her head side to side and throwing her hands up in the air like 'So what?'

Tony chuckles, turning his gaze back to the road ahead of them.


	8. Journey to the Center of The Place

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © __F0REVERM0RE_   
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

**Chapter Eight:**  
Journey to the Center of The Place

* * *

Evelyn rests her forehead against the cool glass of the car door window, watching the passing scenery go by in blurs. Tony is at the wheel, driving to New York State Hospital, the place where Evelyn spent the majority of her childhood. Both of them sit in a comfortable silence, just enjoying the quiet air. And before long, the sight of a large white building captures Evelyn's attention. She slowly straightens her posture on her seat, staring at the building with anticipation.

They're actually here. She's actually at The Place. The place where she spent most of her childhood in a white padded room — a loony bin. And she's here with a borderline stranger, albeit a stranger that she likes and whom is offering her help that she doesn't really deserve.

Tony and Evelyn's agreement was for him to help her learn how to be more Black Swan-e, that's it. Not help unravel her complicated and forgotten past. So how did they get from Tony teaching Evelyn the Art of Seduction, to whisking her across the country—in his private jet—to the state mental hospital where she was locked up for being crazy?

Tony parks in a space marked 'Visitor Parking Only' and kills the engine. However, Evelyn does not make any motion to unbuckle her seat-belt and get out of the car.

"You ready for this?" asks Tony.

"...No..." Evelyn answers truthfully, shaking her head and pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "But I don't really have a choice, now do I?" she sighs heavily, dreadfully unbuckling her seat-belt.

"What are you talking about? Of course you have a choice. We don't have to go in if you don't want to, Evie," says Tony. He shifts his body so that he is facing the passenger seat and Evelyn. "I can't tell you that I know what you're going through because then I would be lying. But I imagine that it is difficult. We can always come back, or not." He leisurely shrugs. "The decision is yours."

Tears pool beneath Evelyn's eyes and she sniffs. "...I wanna go home..." she admits wetly. She's not ready. No matter how much she wants to know about her unknown past, Evelyn draws a blank on what she would ask. She knew that she was coming here, but just the sight of...The Place...strikes fear and anxiety in her heart. And she doesn't think that she would be able to take it: What she would find out.

"Home it is," Tony says without hesitation. He re-buckles his seat-belt and turns on the car, shifting the gear to reverse.

Evelyn sits numbly in her seat, staring off absentmindedly into nothingness. Thinking. She is thinking- reviewing her life and how she came to be the woman she is today. She means...is it so bad to be left in the dark? Not know? She has led a good life without knowing what happened to her. Before Tony brought her here to New York, she had made the decision to forget and never look into her past again. Perhaps she should keep that promise to herself? Focus more on the upcoming auditions; they are drawing near and she has yet to even warm-up or do anything related to dancing.

Fingers ghost over Evelyn's hand and gently interlock with her own, squeezing. "You okay?" asks Tony.

Evelyn blinks out of her haze, turning her gaze up to the man sitting beside her. Tony's eyes are mainly focused on the road ahead, but he every so often glances in her direction. She inhales and exhales heavily, forcing a smile upon her lips.

"I'm fine," she insists. And to further prove to Tony that she is—_would be_— okay, Evelyn lightly squeezes his hand back in reassurance before pulling out of his hold and buckling her seat-belt, which she had yet to put on before they left the parking lot of the hospital.

Tony puts his hand back on the wheel, nodding. "I'll call Larry. Have him prepare for flight."

Evelyn is racked with guilt. She and Tony haven't even been in New York for a day. Larry probably hasn't even relaxed yet. "No, no," she replies. "It's late. Maybe we should stay overnight. You can drop me off at my apartment and you can go back to your penthouse."

"You actually want to go back to your apartment?" Tony asks. "You're more than welcome to stay at the penthouse."

"I think I've already imposed too much on you," says Evelyn.

"It's nothing. No imposition at all. We'll make a night of it - stay in, have dinner, see a movie...What do ya say?"

"Well...There is this Chinese restaurant I know called the Fung Lung. It has, like, thee best egg rolls in the city," Evelyn responds. "I guarantee that you will fall in love with them. And if you don't, there's obviously something wrong with your taste buds."

Tony laughs. "Challenge accepted."

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"Hey, Mr. Wong," Evelyn greets as she enters the tiny Chinese restaurant located between an Italian restaurant and a dry-cleaners. Her nostrils are immediately filled with the greasy smell of fried noodles and vegetables; smells like heaven on Earth.

"Ah. Miss Evelyn!" A short Asian man waddles out from behind the large stove to stand in back of the sneeze guard containing and presenting the food ready to serve. "Where you been?" he asks. "I lose big business when you not call."

"I'm visiting my sister in California for awhile," Evelyn replies.

"You not leave New York, right?"

Evelyn cracks a smile. Mr. Wong is one of her few friends that she has outside of the company, if she could even call him that. Like he already said: He lose big business when she doesn't call in an order. One time he actually tried to set her up with his son, the delivery boy. God, is she really that pathetic when it comes to a personal life?

"No, I'm not leaving New York," she says.

"You want the usual?" Mr. Wong asks, already scooping and cramming mounds of food into a small white to-go box.

"Yeah, but I need you to double it and add extra egg rolls and duck and orange sauce, please."

"Extra?" Mr. Wong exclaims, eyebrows rising high to his hairline. "This not all for you?"

"Uh, no. Actually, it's for two." Evelyn points over her shoulder, to Tony.

Tony raises a hand in greetings. "Hi."

"Ah, I know you!" Mr. Wong smiles brightly, pointing a finger at Tony. "I see you on TV." He switches his grin back to Evelyn. "Glad to see you get back on the whores, Miss Evelyn. I was beginning to worry 'bout you. Johnny have new girlfriend now," he says about his son, the delivery boy.

"It's pronounced horse, Mr. Wong," Evelyn corrects, a blush creeping up to her cheeks. Tony snickers at Mr. Wong's usage from behind her. Even though the elderly Asian man has been in America for ten years, his English still could use some work.

"Horse? That disgusting, Miss Evelyn!" Mr. Wong's face scrunches up in a comical fashion. "Who would want to have sex with horse?"

"I- no. I meant." Evelyn shoulders slump in defeat. She decides to veer the subject back to why she and Tony came to the restaurant. "I've been talking up your egg rolls with Tony. Told him you make the best."

"That is true. Look – taste, taste!" Mr. Wong places an egg roll on a paper plate and serves it to Tony. "If you no like, food is free, our guarantee!"

Mr. Wong and Evelyn watch intently as Tony takes a bite out of the egg roll. Tony painfully chews slow, taunting them both – and he knows that he's doing it- with that smirk on his face, eyes glinting with mischief. He swallows.

"Well, what you think?" Mr. Wong loudly questions. He tends to be a very impatient person. "You like it or not?"

"Sir, you've got yourself a sell!" Tony declares, slapping the palm of his hand on top of the sneeze guard.

"Ah..." Mr. Wong grins from ear to ear. "I like you," he says, pointing at Tony. "I like him," he directs to Evelyn. "Miss Evelyn, if you no marry this man, I'll find someone who will. I've got three daughter – all unmarried. You meet them and choose which one you like."

"Maybe some other time," Tony replies. "How much do I owe you?"

"Since you almost family, I give you good discount," says Mr. Wong. "Ten percent off."

"Ten percent off? You only give me five!" Evelyn is shocked.

"You no marry my son!" Mr. Wong shoots back. "Besides, if I give you discount all the time- I go bankrupt! You eat too much!"

"I do not!" Evelyn protests. She's a ballet dancer, and ballet dancers aren't fat. So, so what if she gets hungry after practice and warm-ups. Sophia works her to the bone!

Mr. Wong begins rambling in his native tongue and then says, "Price come out to: $24.95."

During the whole time Evelyn and Mr. Wong bicker, Tony is laughing and paying for the food. He takes the to-go bags with one hand while the other tugs on Evelyn's arm, leading her out of the restaurant.

Evelyn gets into the car and childishly crosses her arms over her chest, pouting. Tony slides into the driver's seat, placing the to-go bag in the backseat.

"It's not fair," she says. "I've known Mr. Wong for years, and then he meets you for five minutes and already he likes you better than me. I mean- ten percent discount?"

Tony snickers.

"It's not funny!" Evelyn whines.

"So who's Johnny?" Tony asks.

"His son."

"The one you were suppose to marry?"

Evelyn rolls her eyes, shifting into a more comfortable position on her seat. "He was over exaggerating on that one. We never even dated. Mr. Wong tried to set us up because he thought I was lonely, which I'm not." However, as she says this, a part of Evelyn doesn't believe her own words. And this part of her thinks that she was, indeed, very lonely. Evelyn has no one in her life besides her sister—who lives across the country—and a few acquaintances, like Marcus and Mr. Wong. Dancing was—_is_—her life.

"Have you ever even had a boyfriend?"

"Yeah, of course," Evelyn is quick to answer. "Two."

"Two?" Tony laughs.

"What's wrong with only having two boyfriends? I think that's a very good number."

"Yeah, in high school," Tony snorts.

"I never went to high school," Evelyn remarks, pushing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. "I was taught by a private tutor hired by the company back in San Francisco. Besides, how many girlfriends have you had?" Evelyn asks, but before Tony could answer, she interrupts, "And one night stands don't count."

Tony's mouth clamps shut.

"See. None, because you told me. Something to do with not liking feelings and stuff," she mocks.

"All right, fine. You got me there." Tony huffs. "So what were these guys names? Tell me about them."

"Well, there was my private tutor, Justin-"

"You had an affair with your teacher? Wow, Evie, I'm impressed." Tony raises a brow in Evelyn's direction. "Never thought you were that kind of girl."

"What kind of girl?"

"To sleep with your teacher." He winks.

"I never slept with Justin," Evelyn replies.

"Really?" Tony questions, tone filled with doubt.

"Really. After a month I found out that he was dating some of the other girls."

Tony prolongs a whistle. "What happened to him?"

"He got fired. Turns out that it was in his contract not to fraternize with any of the dancers."

Tony shakes his head. "I hate guys like that; taking advantage of young girls," he mutters. "What was he thinking?"

"That he was horny." Evelyn shrugs.

Tony laughs. "Rhetorical question, Evie."

"Oh...Oops."

"And the other guy?"

Without knowing, a wide, goofy smile claims Evelyn's mouth, and her eyes shine as she thinks of her latest relationship. "Yuri Kurpov," she dreamily sighs.

"Why did you say his name like that?" Tony grumbles.

"You don't know who Yuri Kurpov is?" Evelyn gawks. "He's only the best dancer that has ever come from Russia! He's won awards!"

"And you know this guy, but not me?" Tony questions. Evelyn could have sworn that she heard offense in his tone.

"Well, we were in a relationship," Evelyn answers, puzzled. "You're not mad, are you?"

"What?" Tony scoffs. "No. Why would I be?"

"Oh my gosh..." Evelyn's jaw slacks. "You're jealous!" Tony simply grunts in response, causing for Evelyn to chuckle. "Aw, I'm sorry, Tony."

"Whatever. No big deal," he mumbles. "So what happened between you and _Yuri_?" he asks.

"He broke up with me when he moved back to Russia."

"How long ago was that?"

Evelyn shrugs. "Few years ago."

"And you two didn't stay in contact?"

Evelyn shakes her head. "No." She really liked Yuri. He was brilliant at what he did when he was on stage. "Last I heard, he was in an arranged marriage."

"They still do that?"

"Guess so."

Tony pulls into his private garage in Stark Tower, parking. Evelyn twists around in her seat to get the Chinese food in the back of the car. They ride up to the penthouse. Evelyn sifts through the food, saying, "I hope none of the grease sank to the bottom. That's the best part."

"A ballet dancer who can eat. Never thought I'd see the day," Tony quips.

"Yeah, well, my sister is a professional chef remember?" Evelyn replies. She trots over to the couch and hops over it to get to the coffee table. "When she was first starting out, I was her guinea pig. It was a good thing my mom had me on a strict workout plan because, man," Evelyn laughs, "did I eat."

"Good thing? I heard that ballerina workouts are brutal," says Tony. He comes up next to Evelyn, placing plates on the table. "What would you like to drink?"

"Iced tea if you have any," answers Evelyn.

"Coming right up."

"They're not that bad. Just stretching, jogging yoga and some cardio- a little weight lifting; only a few hours."

"Few hours?" Tony says, surprised. "_I_ don't even work out for a few hours."

"Well, I get paid to stay fit and healthy, so I guess it's no big deal." Evelyn carelessly shrugs. "I don't really do much anyway; time isn't an issue. So, what type of movie do you want to watch?" she asks.

"You can choose. The remote should be on the fireplace mantle," says Tony.

Evelyn's brow crinkles in bewilderment. She doesn't see a TV anywhere. However, she goes up to the mantle and does find what could only be the remote Tony is talking about; more like a large, rectangular screen with black handles on the side to Evelyn. She takes the item in her hands and stares quizzically down at it.

"How does this thing work?" she asks out loud. She taps the screen and it lights up. Dozens of buttons appear, but Evelyn doesn't have a clue which one to push for the television. Picking a button at random, Evelyn taps the blue-tinted screen; a fire in the fireplace turns on. "Oh, oops!" She begins pushing other buttons, trying to turn off the fire. However, chaos ensues. The chandler turns on and off, as does the fireplace and other hidden items that Evelyn hasn't noticed before. "What...? Tony? How do I...?" Evelyn stammers, not knowing what to do.

Tony comes up from behind Evelyn. He reaches an arm around her and pushes one button. One. And everything stops. He chuckles small-y in her ear, his breath blowing gently against the sensitive skin of the back of her neck. Evelyn quivers. But then she remembers her earlier thoughts about her needing to stay away from Tony because he has complicated feelings for his assistant. Evelyn slinks away from Tony's close proximity, nervously chuckling.

"You feeling all right?" Tony asks.

Evelyn smiles weakly. "Fine. Which button controls the TV?"

"The button marked TV," he replies.

Evelyn's head tilts down to the large remote in her hands. Her eyes scan the many buttons and she soon finds the button clearly marked for the television. "I knew that was there," she mutters under her breath, pushing the button. The picture above the fireplace transforms to a screen of a large screen television. Evelyn's mouth drops open in awe. "...Whoa..." She plops down on the floor behind the coffee table and begins flipping through the channels, completely fascinated. "You must have, like, a thousand channels on this thing."

"I have a direct feed to a cable satellite, so, yeah, I better have a thousand channels." Tony places a glass of tea in front of her, on the table.

"Oh, oh – it's the original Freddy Kruger movie!" Evelyn exclaims in glee, staying on the channel airing the classic movie '_A Nightmare on Elm Street_'.

"You like Freddy Kruger?" Tony asks, impressed.

"Of course. Who doesn't like Freddy Kruger?" Evelyn begins dividing the food to share between herself and Tony, ready to eat. She misses Mr. Wong's food – delicious. "It is completely hoax-ie: Why, yes, I totally run outside in nothing but my dead boyfriend's tee-shirt in the middle of the night, screaming my head off," she mocks. "Whomever wrote this _really_ knows how the female population works."

Tony laughs. "I agree," he joins in, winking. "The writers were brilliant. Completely realistic in every way. Even down to the getting hacked to pieces when they're having sex scene."

Evelyn laughs, nearly choking on some food. She eagerly nods in agreement. "Because that nearly happens to everyone," she snorts.

"I fear it every time I'm in bed with a woman," Tony jests. "Honestly."

Evelyn giggles.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"Evelyn!"

Breathing in sharply through her nostrils, Evelyn rouses from her slumber. Sitting up straight, she tiredly rubs her eyes clean of the crust that had accumulated at the corners. She finds herself still in the living room, on the couch, lying on top of Tony. Thankfully they are both fully dressed.

They must have fallen asleep during a marathon of cheesy horror movies. They had a good time making fun of the bad plots and sexist scenes.

Evelyn scans the living room, trying to find an explanation for her sudden name call. All is quiet. Groggily rising to her feet, she staggers to the bathroom conjoined with the bedroom to go pee. Once finished, she is about to turn off the bathroom light, but her hand hovers over the switch when she spots something on the bed; an object that she hadn't noticed ever being there – her mother's journal.

_Where did that come from?_ Evelyn ponders. Last she saw of her mother's journal was on the plane, with her files. Evelyn takes the journal in her hands and flips open to a random page, which so happened to be where her mother had written Drusilla's incantation; whoever Drusilla is.

A deep, unsettling feeling of being watched causes for the hairs on the back of Evelyn's neck to rise. She turns her head, gazing behind her, but sees nothing.

_You're just being paranoid, Evie,_ Evelyn tells herself. _Probably another reason why you were locked up in the loony-bin. _

Evelyn snaps the journal close, tossing it back on the bed. However, the journal pops open again. Curious, Evelyn leans on the bed to see which page the journal has fallen open to –

'..._A man came up to me... Wow. I actually forgot his name. How could I forget his name? He's the one who's gonna help me make it big. Oh well, I'm suppose to meet him again tomorrow at the bar, so I'll learn it again...'_

"...The bar..." Evelyn murmurs under her breath. An odd tingling sensation in the back of her mind is telling her that she knows which bar her mother was writing about, even though her mother never mentioned which bar she worked at for those few weeks that she wasn't "famous". And something within Evelyn is telling her that she _needs_ to go to that bar.

Discovering that she is tightly clutching her mother's journal in her hands, Evelyn peers down at her mother's cursive hand-writing and closes the journal for the second time in the past couple minutes. She leaves the journal and steps off of the bed and rushes over to the elevator, hastily pushing the call button. When the golden elevator doors slide open, she glances over her shoulder, at Tony sleeping form on the couch, before stepping in.

_Sorry, Tony,_ she mentally apologizes as the doors slide close. He has helped her more than he should have. And this feels like something that she has to do for herself. Evelyn has to begin doing things on her own – take action for her own responsibilities.

Reaching the lobby of Stark Towers, Evelyn calmly strolls past the guards posted at the front desk; their eyes follow her as she exists the building.

It is well into the night and the subways are closed. Evelyn would hail a taxi, but she has no clue where she is going, nor does she have any money to pay the cabbie to begin with. She goes by her instincts, which have kicked in full throttle. Thunder sounds from the graying clouds above, followed by the occasional lightning bolt. And Evelyn is only wearing a simple white dress.

Still, Evelyn takes one step in front of the other, following the invisible trail leading her to her wanted destination. And soon she finds herself running desperately, her heart pounding in her chest. A few twists and turns later, she stands in front of a short building. A hole in the wall, really.

The sign barely clinging to the wall above the entrance is so faded that the name of the seedy bar isn't even legible. Taking tentative steps forward, Evelyn cautiously opens the door and enters the bar. There are few people inside. Depressed, lonely alcoholics whom want to drink alone, wallowing in their miserable lives.

"You sure you're in the right place, doll face?" asks the bartender behind the bar. He is cleaning a beer mug while simultaneously keeping a steady gaze upon Evelyn.

"Um...I don't know," Evelyn honestly answers. She doesn't know why, but she feels as if she is in the right place. But why would she want to be in an old, dingy bar in the first place; when she could still be cuddled up against the warm body of Tony?

"Lookin' for someone then?" continues the bartender.

"I think so," Evelyn gulps. "My...my name is Evelyn Addams. I think my mom used to work here."

The bartender stops cleaning the beer mug. "Addams yeh say?" he asks. Evelyn nods. "Then you're gonna wanna talk to Molly. 'Ey, Molly!" he hollers, yet, the patrons in the bar don't even flinch by the loud bellow. "Get out here. There's someone to see ya!"

Molly. Molly. Why does that name sound so familiar? Evelyn's eyes nearly bulge out of her head. Molly: her mother's old roommate from when her career from dancing with Captain America went down the drain. She still works at the same bar for the past...what...thirty years?

_Wow. That sucks._ Evelyn feels pity for the elderly woman coming her way. Her hair is long and graying. Her face is sagged and winkled from age. And she is still dressed like she is in the 40s.

"Whatta ya want?" She asks snidely. Her voice is raspy, and she coughs. A smoker's cough.

"I...Did a Barbra Addams use to work here?" Evelyn cautiously asks, scared of the woman.

"That good for nothin' Broadway whore? Yeah. And?"

Evelyn is off put that this woman called her mother a whore, but she ignores the mean comment. "You used to be her roommate, right?" she asks.

"I repeat: Yeah. And?" Molly grunts, followed by more harsh coughing. "You some kind of reporter?"

"My name is Evelyn Addams. I'm her daughter."

"No, shit, really?" Molly eyes Evelyn from head to toe. "You look nothing like her. That's good. She looked like a bleached blonde slut."

Evelyn's jaw slacks. Wow. This woman could hold a grudge.

"You know what...? You actually look like...HA!" Molly laughs. "I knew she couldn't get famous by just her talent alone." She scoffs. "She wasn't even that good."

"What? What are you talking about?" asks Evelyn. And then it hits her. "Do you...Do you know who my father is?"

"You mean she didn't even tell you who your own father is?" Molly questions with a raised brow. Evelyn shakes her head in response. "Even when they were married?" Molly continues with genuine shock.

"They were...married?" Evelyn murmurs under her breath, completely blind-sided by the news.

She nods. "Got an invitation and everything. Sit. Sit down," Molly says in a motherly tone, gently leading Evelyn to a stool at the bar. "Ed, tequila bottle, two shot glasses, salt and some lemons," Molly demands, slamming the palm of her hand on the bar counter top.

Ed, who turns out to be the bartender, nods and places two shot glasses, a salt shaker and a bowl of lemon wedges in front of both Evelyn and Molly, followed by a half-empty bottle of tequila.

Molly pours the drink, sliding one of the glasses closer to Evelyn. "Drink up, honey. On the house," she says. Evelyn doesn't hesitate to down the bitter liquid, which burns as it goes down her throat. She coughs. "Now lick the salt," Molly directs, pouring salt on Evelyn's palm. Evelyn complies. "Now for the lemon. Big bite," Molly adds, stuffing a lemon wedge in Evelyn's hand. Evelyn bites into the lemon wedge. The sour taste combined with the bitterness of the tequila sends Evelyn's taste buds into a frenzy. A good frenzy. And only after one shot, her brain is already buzzed.

"You own the bar?" Evelyn asks between coughs.

Molly nods. "I married the original owner; he left everything to me when he died. Here, have another one."

Evelyn takes the shot, licks a line of salt and eats another lemon wedge. Delicious. "So who's my father?"

"His name was Donald Princeton. Gorgeous man. His eyes—_your eyes_—were so blue. At first I thought that he was a producer, but when I asked to audition for him he started talking about all this crazy supernatural shit. About how all I had to do in order to gain fame and riches was to worship some demon."

"Drusilla?" Evelyn perks in her stool.

"Yeah..." Molly mutters, taking a shot. "That was he called it. Said that she would be the answers to all my problems." Molly snorts. "Crazy right?"

"...Right..." Evelyn agrees doubtfully.

"I still can't believe that your mother believed in all that crap. But, then again, she was on Broadway and I'm...here. He must've had some connections." Molly takes another shot. "I was good," she declares. "Really, I was."

Evelyn feels sympathy for the woman. But she wants to learn more about her father. "You don't so happen to know where he is, do you? My father? A way to contact him?" she asks, her tone is filled with hope.

"Sorry, kid. I haven't seen him or your mother since the night your mother up and quit her job. That was over twenty years ago."

Evelyn's shoulders slump, dejected. "Well, at least I have a name. It's better than nothing," she sighs. She takes one last shot before saying, "I better get going. Thank you for talking with me."

"No problem, doll." Molly winks. "Come by anytime you want."

"Bye, everyone!" Evelyn waves enthusiastically to the depressing looking patrons of the bar with a bright smile on her lips, hoping to cheer at least one of them up. No such luck.

Leaving the bar, Evelyn stands out in the cool night air and the smile falls off of her lips, turning into a full blown frown. Her mother was married to her father: Donald Princeton. The man whom apparently gave her her fame by making her worship Drusilla, a demon. Married. And she never told Evelyn about him. Her own daughter. And married for years, too? How could her own mother do that to her? Why on earth would she worship a demon? Did she honestly think that it would bring her fame and fortune? The reason Barbra Addams is known on Broadway is because she danced her way to the top, nothing more. Right? She taught Evelyn everything she knew, and Evelyn is a great dancer!

_'But you've never got the part of a lead role'_, a voice tells her in the back of her mind. _'You have the opportunity to be the best, but will get nowhere without me. Let me out, and you will be, the Swan Princess.'_

A cool breeze blows by Evelyn, carrying the whisper of her name. "...Evelyn..." Evelyn's head turns in the direction of the wind. She recognizes that voice. It is the same voice from her dream; the same voice that has been taunting her since she read that incantation out loud.

"...Drusilla...?" she murmurs. _No._ Evelyn shakes her head, but becomes dizzy from the drinks. She blinks repeatedly, trying to steady her vision. _All this has to end. Right now._

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"Thank you!" Evelyn waves to the nice man whom gave her a ride to the state hospital. She had lied and told him that she was visiting a family member. Who would give a ride to not only a stranger, but an ex-mental patient? She was lucky that anybody was on the road so late in the night.

Staggering to the front doors of the hospital, Evelyn is still trying to fight off the liquor from the tequila shots Molly made her drink. She tries to pull open the doors, but finds them locked. She then tries to push, but, still, the doors don't budge. The head of a person peeks out from behind the front desk and stares at Evelyn with raised brows.

"Hey. Hey!" Evelyn calls out to get their attention. "Open up, I used to come here!" She hiccups. Nope, still tipsy. "I need to speak to Dr. Macintosh. I need to know if I am really crazy," she continues. "I keep hearing this voice in my head and-"

The nurse from behind the front desk opens the door, eying Evelyn. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" the woman hisses.

"I need to talk to Dr. Macintosh," Evelyn repeats.

"Dr. Macintosh isn't in at the moment. He isn't due for another three hours. Come back then and make an appointment." The nurse tries to close the door, but Evelyn pushes her way inside.

"But this is important. He's the only one who could make the voice go away. He did it before," Evelyn pleads. He could give her some pills to make the voice go away.

"You were really a patient here?" asks the nurse.

Evelyn nods.

"And Dr. Macintosh was your assigned psychiatrist?"

Again, Evelyn nods.

The nurse gazes deeply at Evelyn. "And this is an emergency?"

"Yes," Evelyn answers.

"Come with me then," the nurse replies, leading Evelyn to a chair near the front desk. "Take a seat and I'll pull up your files and call Dr. Macintosh in."

"Thank you," Evelyn says earnestly.

"Name?"

"Evelyn Marie Addams."

"Date of birth?"

"2/14/1979."

"Valentine's day? That's cool."

Evelyn shrugs in response.

"Okay, please type in your social security number." The nurse places the desktop keyboard on top of the desk counter. Evelyn types in her social security number that she has memorized for such a use as this. "Hm. That's strange," the nurse mutters. "There is no record of you on the system. Are you sure you were a patient here?"

Evelyn thinks back to her files back at Tony's penthouse; he wouldn't have faked those kind of documents. "Yes," she tells the nurse.

"You sure?" The nurse raises an accusing brow.

"Yes. Why would I lie about something like me being locked up in a mental hospital?"

"You'd be surprised how many loons that come here who actually try to fake being loons," the nurse mutters. "But if you know Dr. Macintosh by name, then I suppose you might have come here. The system went through an update recently, so your file might have been misplaced." She sighs. "Take a seat. I'll call the doctor, see if he would still come in to see you. If he doesn't, then I'm afraid you'll have to wait and make an appointment."

"Thank you, again," says Evelyn, taking a seat back on the chair.

The nurse dials a number on the phone at the desk. "Dr. Macintosh? I apologize for calling at such an hour, but I have a woman here who claims to be an ex-patient of yours...Evelyn Addams...She's twenty-nine, sir...Okay, one moment. Excuse me, Miss Addams. When did you say you were a patient here?" The nurse directs to Evelyn.

"I was admitted when I was five and discharged when I was thirteen," Evelyn answers.

"F-f-five?" The nurse gawks. "We don't take children patients here, Miss Addams. At least not that young. And even if we did, I would remember such a person."

"But..." Evelyn trails off, brow knotted. "I have the paperwork. Well, not with me...they're at Tony's penthouse. He found them, and he wouldn't lie to me about something like this." Or would he? Evelyn has heard many rumors about Tony Stark, most of them warning her to stay away because he was bad news and a heartbreak waiting to happen. But to pull a prank like this? Telling her that she was in the New York State Hospital for more than half her life? Evelyn knew that she was in...The Place...when she woke up – at age thirteen. But she never knew about where she was before then. _No. Tony isn't like that. He wouldn't lie; not about this._ Evelyn immediately shakes off her doubts about Tony. He had gone out of his way to help her when he never had to.

"Mr. Macintosh is on his way," says the nurse. "Come with me. You can wait in his office."

Evelyn nods numbly and follows the nurse down a series of hallways and to a private office. The nurse leaves the office door open and leaves Evelyn on her own. She plops down on the comfortable looking couch, releasing a breath of exhaustion. Evelyn tiredly rubs her eyes from underneath her glasses and lies her head back on the rest, closing her eyes.

"Evelyn Addams?" someone calls her name.

Evelyn sharply sits up straight. She had fallen asleep. Turning her gaze up to the middle-aged man whom had entered the office, she suspects him to be Dr. Andrew Macintosh. But she asks him, just in case. "Dr. Macintosh?"

The man nods. He sits on the leather one-seat chair in front of the couch, crossing one leg over the other. And with the way he is staring at Evelyn, it makes her stomach feel queasy.

"...You don't know who I am, do you...?" she asks him.

"I'm afraid not, Miss. Addams. Or is it Mrs. Addams?"

"Miss," Evelyn clarifies.

"Mrs. Lucci told me that you mentioned something about hearing a voice? Would you like to tell me about this voice?"

At his offer, Evelyn breaks down and begins spewing out everything that has happened so far since leaving New York on her forced vacation. She tells him about her mother, what happened at her sister's house, about Drusilla (who she thinks is the name of the voice), and even that on her record that she has at Tony's says that she was admitted by her step-father, Scott, for Dissociative Identity Disorder and then discharged to her mother at the age of thirteen. And once she reached the end of her confession, she feels as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. It feels good to vent to a professional.

"So what can you do, Doc? Write me a prescription?" asks Evelyn.

Dr. Macintosh is staring at Evelyn with wide eyes and looks to be as pale as a sheet. "Uh...Miss Addams..." he clears his throat. "I think that for a case like yours, you need to be under supervision at the state of paranoia you are right now. Now I would like to—with your permission, of course—admit you here-"

"Admit me? No!" Evelyn sharply rises to stand. "I just...I thought...You were suppose to have all the answers." Tears blur Evelyn's vision. "I was here before, I know it. It says so on my file."

"Now, you keep talking about your files-"

"At Tony's penthouse," Evelyn interrupts.

"Tony Stark's penthouse," Dr. Macintosh replies with doubt.

"Yes," Evelyn replies, bland. "Why? Don't you believe me?"

"I believe that you're going through a difficult time right now. You're stressed and-"

"You don't believe me," Evelyn murmurs. "Why is it so hard to believe that a guy like Tony and a girl like me could be friends?"

"Miss Addams-"

"No," Evelyn, again, interrupts. "You obviously don't know anything. Coming here was a mistake."

"Wait! Wait! Miss Addams, you are going through a traumatic moment in your life. It's not uncommon with a woman in your field of work. Ballet dancing is a vigorous and stressful job profession. Miss Addams – it's raining!"

Evelyn ignores the doctors pleas for her to stay and storms outside of the hospital. Rain comes down in sheets, and Evelyn is completely soaked within seconds. She doesn't care if her underwear is visible from underneath her soaked white dress, no one is around to see anyway. She's in the middle of nowhere; a forty-five minute car ride away from the civilization of the city. God knows how long it will take her to get back to the penthouse, or at least her apartment, by walking. Could be hours.

Well, at least Evelyn can officially say that she is no longer affected by the alcohol and is all sobered up.

_What's happening to me...?_ she helplessly wonders. _Why is this happening to me?_

A familiar black Mercedes pulls up along the curb near Evelyn, but she strolls pass it. She's too far gone in her mind; thinking about her next move and what she should do.

"I should just come back to New York," she mumbles to herself. Her life shot to hell when she left New York. Maybe if she comes back, everything will go back to normal?

"Evie?" Tony calls out to Evelyn, standing in front of her and blocking her path. She bumps into his chest; she had been walking by memory since she can't see through her fogged up glasses due to the rain. "Evie? For fucks sake, I've been looking everywhere for you," says Tony. He wraps a jacket around her soaked and trembling body. He guides her to the car.

"...I went to the hospital..." Evelyn mumbles. "And according to Dr. Macintosh, I was never a patient there."

Tony stops trying to get her into the car and asks, "What?"

"I was never at the state hospital," she repeats just above a whisper. "I was never there. He didn't know who I was. He thought I was crazy. What if he's right? What if I am crazy? Maybe I should have listened to him and let him admit me."

"Wait. He wanted to _admit_ you?" Tony questions. "Evie, you're not crazy."

Evelyn gazes up at Tony. She can barely see him from behind her glasses. "Then who am I? What am I?"

Tony doesn't answer. Instead, he brings Evelyn close to his chest, seemingly not to care that they are still out in the rain. He wraps his arms protectively around her and nuzzles his face within her hair. Evelyn can feel his warmth and finally lets breaks down and cries. She had been afraid of The Place for her entire life, and it turns out that it might have never existed. Did she imagine the whole thing?

"Donald Princeton," she says. That's the only semi-good news that she got out of the mess.

"Hm?"

"That's the name of my father."


	9. A Chance at Redemption

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © __F0REVERM0RE_   
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

**Chapter Nine:**  
A Chance at Redemption

* * *

Pulling the covers over her shoulders, Tony watches as Evie snuggles deeper into the pillow and releases a small sigh of content. He gazes down at her with a frown on his lips. Gently, he pats her head and leaves her to rest; she had a trying day. Trudging to the kitchen, he pours himself another mug of coffee and mulls over what Evie had told him.

She was never a patient in the state hospital? Impossible. Her records showed that she was a patient in at New York State Hospital for nearly ten years.

Taking his mug of coffee to his office corner, Tony places the mug on a coaster before pressing a lone button on the desk's surface. A blue-tinted transparent screen appears, and Tony gets to work. He opens up some private files that he saved on Evie and goes through them with a fine comb. Again. He couldn't have missed anything. He was thorough the first time. He would never knowingly hand over falsified information to Evie.

Opening the service that Tony used in order to discover that Evie was, indeed, in the state hospital here in New York, Tony nearly chokes on his current gulp of coffee. Going into a coughing fit, he covers his mouth with his forearm in a lame attempt to quiet himself as not to rouse Evie from her slumber (it took him forever to coax her into taking a nap. She was pretty out of it).

_Impossible._ His eyes are wide. _It was just there! How could it be gone? _But Tony's eyes continue to sweep through the current page that is open on his transparent computer screen.

There is no record of there ever being an Evelyn Addams in the hospital.

Ever.

No. No. No damn oversight is going to make Tony a lair; not to Evie. Anyone but Evie. Tony hastily searches for the single manila folder which contains all of the information he found on Evie. All the information. When he finds it, he withdraws the hospital records and reads through them. They appear legit and look to be the real deal, even down to the state stamp and doctors signature. And you couldn't fake a doctor's signature, right? That's illegal. Which means that Dr. Andrew Macintosh, Evie's Psychiatrist, is either lying or was used.

Besides, who would want to fake documents like being locked up in the loony bin, anyway? What is there to gain from it?

Tony heavily sighs and rubs his face with his palms. This wasn't suppose to be this difficult. Helping, Evie, he means. He was hoping that they would discover that she was probably adopted or something much more simpler than being legally branded as insane by the law. Adoption he could handle. But insanity?

_Evie's not crazy,_ a voice nags at the back of Tony's mind. _You know crazy. You've seen crazy. And Evie's not it. If she's crazy, then you need a check-up for caring about her more than you normally would have. She was just suppose to be another one-night stand. Another conquest. And you achieved that. You had her. Why are you still helping her? Why not kick her to the curb like you did with all the others?_

_Evie's different,_ Tony tells the voice. _She's not like the rest. She's..._

_Innocent. Naive. She'll break if you leave her,_ replies the voice. _You heard her. She only ever had two boyfriends. If you can even call them that. One was her private tutor who took advantage of her but she never even slept with, and the other was a prissy dancer who dumped her on her ass to leave the country and is in an arranged marriage. And you know what they say...more than half of all male dancers bat for the other team. He could have very well been gay, which makes you..._

"One of the first men Evie has ever been with," Tony murmurs under his breath.

_She might as well have been a virgin,_ the voice says smugly. _Congratulations. It's been a __long__ while since you had a virgin. __Actually, you never had a virgin, did you?_

The reality of possibly being Evie's first weighs heavy on Tony's shoulders. He knows that the voice battling within himself was his subconscious. And it is right. Tony never took someone's virginity before, as hard as it is to believe. It isn't exactly a secret that the women Tony usually chooses are, well...loose. He lost his virginity when he was sixteen to a co-ed named...named...something with a J, right? It was at a party and he was pretty drunk.

Crap.

He couldn't even remember the name of the woman he lost his virginity to?

God. He really is an asshole, isn't he?

Tony always heard how much of a douche he is when it comes to women. He never really cared, though; what people thought of him. But, like he already established with his subconscious, Evie isn't like the rest of the women he put in the limelight because of his selfish need for pleasure. For Christ's sake – he thought that she was an easy lay because he thought that she was a stripper when he first met her!

How sick does a mind have to be in order to think that all women want to be with him simply because he is Tony Stark: genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist? And Evie knew none of that when she first met him. Yet she still got in a car with a complete stranger because she has a good heart. She sees the silver lining; the good in others.

She's his clean slate. A chance to be seen as something other than the Tony Stark portrayed in the media.

Tony grimaces as he imagines the look that Evie had on her face when he found her walking along the road, away from the hospital. Her expression was blank, completely void of any emotion. It hurt him to see her that way. He is so used to seeing a smile on her pink lips. The certain sparkle in her eyes. And how she could light up an entire room as soon as she walks in. Tony never wants to see her face blank again.

Oh shit.

Did he just think what he thought he thought?

Could he, Tony Stark, care for someone as much as he cares for himself (which is a lot need he add)? He means – he _loves_ himself.

There goes that L word, again. And he's not talking about lust. He already tried to convince himself that he was in lust with Evie. But now that they have already had sex, he still wants to keep her around. He genuinely likes her company. He likes having her around. He doesn't feel lonely when he's with Evie. He doesn't have anyone in his life. Sure, there is Rhodey and Pepper, but they're more like business friends than regular friends. He couldn't just call Rhodey or Pepper and ask if they wanted to drop everything and go see a movie or have a bite to eat; just hang out. They would automatically think that there was something wrong and question him about his motives.

Evie never questioned him. She went along with his erratic behavior without a hitch. She placed her utter devotion in his hands to do with it as he pleases. Tony never had that kind of responsibility before: to care for another person's well-being. It was always about him and nothing more. He could care less about anyone whose name wasn't Anthony Edward Stark. But now he adds Evelyn Marie Addams to that list.

Tony finds himself standing at the doorway of the master bedroom, gazing at Evie's sleeping form. He has his coat on and keys in hand.

"I'm going to fix this," he announces, though he knows that she couldn't hear him.

Tony gets in his car with a purpose. He tosses the manila folder containing Evie's files on the passenger's seat and turns on the engine. With a push of a button, the garage door rises open and he quickly merges with traffic.

He only hopes that he makes it to the hospital and back before Evie wakes up.

Tony's cellphone rings, and the caller ID shows that it is Pepper calling.

"Yeah?" he answers the call.

"This is your forty-two hour warning," Pepper states on the other line. "You have to be in Vegas in two days for the award ceremony."

Tony throws his head back against the head-rest of his seat. He forgot all about the Apogee Awards. Evie isn't in the proper state of mind to go with him. She needs time to cope, and he doesn't want to leave her alone.

"Yeah, about that-" he tries to cancel.

"Oh, no. You're not canceling, Tony. You have to be there," Pepper replies. "You said that you would be there. Everything is all set up. The whole dang thing is about you, and if you don't show up that will reflect badly on-"

"All right, all right," Tony grumbles. "I'll be there. Listen, I need you to do something for me. I want you to book the hotel room, but I also want you to do a little shopping. Have the clothes ready for use in the closet and drawers."

"Didn't you already buy a suit for the awards?" asks Pepper, tone thick with obvious confusion.

"The clothes aren't for me," he replies with hesitance. "They're for Evie. She wasn't able to get anything from her apartment because we got swarmed by her roommates."

"Oh." Is all Pepper says.

Tony gnaws at his bottom lip. This isn't a subject that he wanted to talk about with his assistant. But he knew that it was bound to come up sooner or later. No more avoiding the topic. He has to tell her his feelings and apologize for his leading her on. He gave her the chance to confess about having romantic feelings for him, but she shys away. She always shys away.

"Pep-"

"What are her measurements?" Pepper interrupts.

"Pepper," Tony repeats through clenched teeth. "...I'm sorry," he then adds with genuine apology.

"Why should you apologize?" she mutters. "I already know how you are with women."

For some reason, Pepper's comment cut Tony really deep and he feels the need to defend himself; and Evie.

"Evie's different," he states.

"I'm sure she is."

"Pepper."

"Yes, Mr. Stark?"

Great. Now she's calling him by his surname, which is never good.

"I could have loved you." There, he said it. There is no taking it back.

"Wh...what...?" Pepper stammers, obviously taken by surprise by Tony's sudden declaration of possible love.

"If you would have given me the chance, I could have loved you," he rephrases. His grip on the steering wheel tightens, his knuckles turn white. He's been wanting to say this to Pepper ever since he discovered that he wanted something more than a boss/employee relationship with her.

He remembers the day clearly. The day that he saw Pepper Potts in a different light other than assistant. His personal chef was out sick and he was starving. And when Tony Stark is hungry, he gets cranky and complains about every little thing that goes wrong in his day. Eventually Pepper grew tired of his complaining and tied on an apron. She told him that she would make him something to eat, but if only he would shut up. Tony complied. And he even kept his word, too. He watched as Pepper gracefully moved around in his kitchen (a room he, himself, hardly visited), gathering the ingredients she needed. And at that moment, she morphed from assistant to...Pepper. Just Pepper. _His_ Pepper.

Tony watched her cook the entire meal, which lasted up to nearly an entire hour. He just sat down on a stool and watched in utter fascination. She was the most beautiful woman in the world to him then. And he wanted nothing more than to just wrap his arms around her waist and mimic her movements while she moved around in the kitchen making him dinner. Not have sex with her (surprisingly). Just be close to her. Smell her. Feel her near.

"But every time I tried to get close to you, you pulled away," Tony continues. "You were always business. Just business." He laughs humorlessly as tears pool beneath his eyes. "I tried, Peps...Really I did. I tried to see you outside of work. I tried to ask what type of music you liked, what your favorite food was...but you tuned me out, Peps."

"You...You're my boss, Tony," Pepper says wetly. "I...I've seen what you've done with your conquests. I've gotten _rid_ of your conquest! And I...I was afraid. I didn't want to be just another notch on your bedpost."

"I know. You had every right to think the worst of my intentions. But you knew that you meant something to me. Something more. You knew. All I wanted was a chance to prove it to you; that you were different to me."

"I...I..." Pepper's voice cracks. "I screwed up, didn't I?"

Tears pool beneath Tony's eyes, but he blinks them back. "Naw. You could never screw up, Peps."

"Do...Do you...Do you think that maybe...Maybe we could-"

"I love her, Pepper," Tony has to say. He hated interrupting Pepper's little plea of hope, but he has to say it out loud: how much he cares for Evie.

"...I lost my chance."

"_We_ lost our chance," Tony corrects. "It came and went."

"The bracelet?"

"The chance."

"And when I didn't say anything back...That's when I lost you, isn't it?"

"Yes," Tony reluctantly admits.

Silence follows. And it is the most difficult minute in Tony's life. Pepper means the world to him, and even though he has finally admitted that he is in love with another woman, he still couldn't afford to lose her. Not only because she is the perfect assistant, but because she is still a close friend. Someone he could trust (and those are hard to come by). But if she chose to leave him, he wouldn't hold it against her. He would understand.

There is an audible sniffle on the other line, signaling to Tony that Pepper hadn't hung up on him. He breaths a sigh of relief.

"Caesars Palace, all right? Or would you rather not stay in the hotel where the ceremony is being held?"

Back to business. Good ol' Pepper. He really is sorry and feels like such an asshole, but is thankful that she chose to stay with him.

Tony Stark is the luckiest man in the world.

"Caesars is fine," he responds.

"And Miss Evie's measurements?"

"Medium tops, size five in pants and dresses. Medium in underwear, 36-A in bras. And some shoes, please – size seven," Tony says from memory. He memorized every nook-and-cranny of Evie's body; burned the image of her creamy, naked flesh in his mind for permanent use.

"Any particular style you prefer?"

"Just casual wear. We'll worry about the gown when we get there." Tony pauses before saying, "Thank you, Pepper."

"She must be really special."

"You have no idea," Tony sighs. Evie's predicament is still a secret that only he knows (besides Emily, her sister, of course). And if Pepper found out about Evie's past, she would more than definitely voice her concerns. "You can come, too. If you want," he awkwardly adds. "To the awards."

"I think I'll pass this time," Pepper replies. "Good-bye, Tony."

"...Bye, Pepper."

She ends the call. They had just said good-bye to the possibility of being something more than boss and employee.

Oddly, as soon as his conversation with Pepper ended, Tony reaches the hospital. He parks in a free space and turns the car off, sitting in silence for a moment. Wiping his face clean of tears, he gazes into the rear-view mirror and fixes himself to look more presentable. Before getting out of the car, he reaches for the manila folder sitting on the passenger's seat.

Time for some answers (and a distraction).

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"Mr. Stark. I almost didn't believe the front desk nurse when she informed me that you were waiting for me in my office," Dr. Macintosh declares as he enters the office Tony has been waiting in for the past few minutes. "May I ask why you are here? I'm assuming you don't want an evaluation," he jests. "Of course with your line of work, I understand the pressures you might be feeling."

Tony doesn't verbally respond. Instead, he tosses the manila folder on the coffee table centered in the office, turning to the papers which prove that Evie was a patient in New York State Hospital, under the care of one Dr. Andrew Macintosh.

"That's your signature, isn't it?" he asks.

The doctor's face visibly pales as he stares down at the documents. "Where did you get those?" he nervously gulps.

"I was too quick. Printed them out before you deleted her file. Erased her very existence. You tried to convince her that she was crazy. Wanted to re-admit her in this shit hole. And let me tell you – you almost succeeded, too. You really got to her. You manipulated her."

"So she really does know you on a personal level," Dr. Macintosh mumbles.

"Evie doesn't lie. I don't think she's capable of it."

"You have no idea what that woman is capable of, Mr. Stark," Dr. Macintosh declares sternly. "And if I were you, I would sever all ties with her before you bite off more than you can chew."

"She's scared. All she wanted was answers. She came to you for help, and you tried to make her think that she's insane." Tony glowers, angered.

"Miss Addams is beyond help, Mr. Stark," replies the doctor. "That woman is pure evil."

"Evie?" Tony raises a brow, tone thick with disbelief. Evie is the complete opposite of evil. However, he thinks back to her episode on the plane. What was it all about? Nobody could do what she did. She caused for the plane to spin out of control. She _levitated_ in the air.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss Miss. Addams case. It's confidential. All I can tell you is to run while you still can. She can, and will, be the end of you."

The doctors words do cause for panic, but Tony doesn't fall for it. He picks up the manila folder, tucking it underneath the crook of his arm. "So you're not going to give me anything valuable?" he asks.

"I just did. I told you to run."

"There's nothing wrong with Evie," Tony stubbornly argues.

"Right now there isn't. Right now she is safe. But if you continue to dig into her past, Mr. Stark, I'm afraid that there will be no saving her. Not anymore. There are forces out there bigger than you and I. Forces that are not to be reckon with. If they catch whiff that you're with Miss. Addams, they will come. They will find you."

"Who's they?" asks Tony.

"I cannot say because...well...I don't know who they are myself. They just came into the hospital one day and took her away without any explanation."

"Evie?"

Dr. Macintosh nods. "Eight years later, they brought her back. She was different. Didn't remember a thing, not even her own name. Poor girl couldn't even walk or speak. She stayed under my care for a year before I signed her discharge papers, releasing her in the custody of her mother."

Tony is taken aback by the doctor's information. A part of him is disturbed by the news, but his other half refuses to believe that there could be a government conspiracy involved with Evie's unknown past. It's utterly ridiculous!

"Good luck, Mr. Stark. You're going to need it," the doctor says as Tony leaves his office.

When Tony returns to the penthouse, he finds Evie still in bed, peacefully asleep. He lazily sheds his clothing and climbs into bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her and bringing her close to his chest, nuzzling her neck.

"What did they do to you?" he murmurs to no one in particular, but Evie stirs none the less. Tony waits for her to open her eyes, but she doesn't. She continues to sleep.

_How can someone so beautiful and sweet be so...complicated?_ Tony wonders as he stares at Evie's sleeping form. She is so open, so warm, so inviting, yet, beneath the surface there is a puzzle made of jagged edges.

If this is some sort of test from the universe to see if Tony Stark is capable of being loyal and faithful to one woman, he sure as hell isn't going to go down without a fight.

Evie is everything he's not. She is good, while he is selfish. She is pure, while he is tainted. She is the yang (light) to his yin (darkness). She is his savior. A chance to be a better man.

Slowly, Tony falls asleep next to his biggest complication. The woman who changed...everything.


	10. The Art of Seduction IV: Two of Us

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © __F0REVERM0RE_   
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

**Chapter Ten:**  
The Art of Seduction IV: Just the Two of Us

* * *

When Tony wakes, he is alone. He shots up in bed and his eyes frantically search the room for the petite pixie like woman that he has come to care deeply for. She hasn't left him again, had she? However, the muffled sound of music coming from beyond the closed bedroom door quiets his panicked thoughts.

Climbing out of bed, he pads over to the door and opens it. In floods the familiar melody of _Clair de Lune_, a song that his mother made him practice over and over on the piano until perfection.

Strolling out into the living room with his trademark swagger he then stops to watch the wonderful show before him. The corner of his mouth rises, and his eyes trail up Evie's long and slender legs up to her tight and firm ass. An ass that he has squeezed and would love to do so again. Soon.

Evie is doing yoga at the center of the room. She moved the coffee table. But how he doesn't know because the table is quite heavy. Which means that she must be stronger than she looks.

"I see you finally figured out how to work the universal remote," he remarks, making his presence known.

"Took me a couple of hours, but I got it," Evelyn chimes with a bright smile.

Tony couldn't help but grin when she talked to him from between the gap of her legs (she is bent over). He jumps over the top of the couch, plopping down in a comfortable position on the cushions so that he has a better view of Evie.

"A couple of hours? How long have you been awake?" he asks.

"I just told you."

Tony rolls his eyes. "And you've been working out ever since?" A couple of hours is a long time for yoga.

"Kind of. I went out for a jog around the building first – regretted it. Why do you have such a big building? It took me forever to do just one lap around."

Tony snickers at the slight whine in her tone. "So...Yoga, huh?" he asks.

Evie changes positions, giving Tony a full frontal view of her stomach and chest. Oh yeah.

"I haven't been paying attention to any of my usual warm-ups. I don't want to stiffen up," she says. "Because if I tighten up then I would most definitely pull something and hurt myself when it comes time for the auditions."

"I feel like I should make popcorn," Tony quips and continues to happily watch Evie perform the art of yoga.

"Why?" she questions benignly.

_Oh, Evie. My sweet and naive, Evie,_ Tony silently answers. "No reason," he replies verbally. "So you do this everyday?"

Evie changes positions.

"Usually. But lately I've been distracted with, well, you know."

"Which reminds me. Do you want to look up your father?"

Evie visibly tenses, and Tony wonders if he said something wrong. She does want to know about her father, doesn't she? That's why she told him his name: Donald Princeton.

Evie lets loose and gracefully falls to the floor on her back. She effortlessly lifts herself up so that she is kneeling before him. Tony tries to shoo away the filthy thoughts filling his mind; they could do all sorts of things while she's in that position, especially since she is extremely flexible. And Evelyn lazily huffs, blowing loose strands of her wavy locks away from her face that had become undone from her pony-tail.

"I..."

When Tony notices the look of fright on her face, he interrupts Evie by leaning forward on the couch towards her and gathers her hands in his. She looks into his eyes, her big and beautiful blue orbs gazing at him in wonder from behind the thick lens of her glasses.

She has daddy issues, just like him. Could she be even more perfect for him?

"Forget about it," he says.

Evie smiles weakly.

"Hey, Pepper called. I have to be in Vegas to accept an award. Wanna come?"

Suddenly, Evie's mood changes and a wide grin splits her face. "You won an award? Congratulations, Tony!" She throws her arms around Tony's neck, squeezing.

Tony softly chuckles and wraps his arms around Evie. He doesn't remember the last time he saw someone this excited about him winning an award. He doesn't even get proud when Pepper informs him that he won yet another award anymore; he is just indifferent since he has so many. But Evie's excitement is infectious, and Tony couldn't help but smile.

"When do you have to be there?" she asks after withdrawing from the embrace.

"Not for another two days, but we could make a vacation out of it."

"Hm. I never been to Vegas before," she murmurs.

"You...You've never been...?" Tony clamps his hands over Evie's shoulders. "Evie, pack your bags. We're going to Vegas."

Evie's brow furrows. "But I don't have any bags to pack," she says, bewildered.

"Figure of speech," Tony replies. "But lets go."

"Right now?" she questions as Tony lifts her up from her kneeling position on the floor.

"The sooner, the better. I'll call Larry and have him prepare the plane," says Tony.

"Can't I take a shower first?" she asks. "I'm all sweaty."

"Sure. Don't worry about clothes, I had Pepper buy you some; they're at the hotel room. Use mine, they're in the drawers. Top are-"

"Shirts, and the bottom are pants, and the middle contains your boxers. Got it." Evie bounces back into the bedroom, leaving Tony standing open mouthed near the kitchenette where his phone is charging. "Thank you, Tony! Be out in a second!" her voice soon chimes from within the bedroom.

_She knows where my boxers are? Does that mean she plans on wearing them?_ "That is so hot," Tony mumbles under his breath. He turns his gaze to his cellphone and calls Larry.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"Ready to go, Larry?"

"Ready when you are, Mr. Stark." Larry nods. He is standing near the stairs leading into the plane. "Good evening, Miss Evie." He nods towards Evie.

"Hi, again, Larry," Evie smiles. She trots up the steps and into the plane. Tony is close behind, but Larry stops him.

"Mr. Stark? May I have a word?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"Have you read any papers today, sir?"

"No. Why?"

Larry doesn't answer. He hands Tony a _New York Times_ newspaper. Confused, Tony stares down at the front page, thinking that it was just another gossip piece, but his jaw clenches when he sees a large black and white picture of him and Evie from the previous day when he took her to her apartment. And to make matters worse, on top of the picture in large bold print, reads: **TONY STARK A PART OF GOVERNMENT CONSPIRACY THEORY?**

"Son of a bitch. She actually went," Tony murmurs under his breath. Did Mary really go to the press and tell them about what happened to Evie during the flight over? He hastily turns to the page where the full story is told.

"Is everything all right?" Evie calls from the planes opening.

Tony doesn't respond, he is too engrossed with reading the article. To sum it all up, he confirmed that Mary did go straight to the press and blabbed. Sure, there are bad things about Tony, but it is nothing that he hasn't heard before (he had grown a really thick skin towards gossip), but it is what Mary said about Evie that is really grinding his gears; she made her come off as some kind of crazed lunatic.

And now the press knows who Evie is. She is no longer the mysterious woman that has been seen on multiple occasions with him, she is: '_Evelyn Marie Addams, age 29, local ballet dancer for The New York Ballet.'_ They even have her address, her sister's name, hell even her sister's husbands name along with her kids!

_Fucking stalkers,_ Tony scowls.

Evie doesn't deserve to be in the lime light. And no, he is not trying to be an ass. Being in the lime light is a hassle. The media has no sense of privacy. They'll eat Evie alive!

A hand softly cups Tony's shoulder.

"Tony?"

It is Evie. Her tone is thick with concern. And at the sound of her worry, the tension in Tony's body melts away. He meets her gaze and folds the newspaper in half and hands it back to Larry.

That morning he saw Evie smile for the first time since that damned doctor tried to make her think that she is crazy and to be readmitted into the hospital, and Tony doesn't want to see that blank expression on her face again. He wants to make her first vacation to Vegas special. He wants to make her feel better and to forget all about that idiot doctor.

_I'll have his damned license to practice revoked,_ he inwardly declares.

_"You have no idea what that woman is capable of, Mr. Stark. And if I were you, I would sever all ties with her before you bite off more than you can chew."_

_"Miss Addams is beyond help, Mr. Stark. That woman is pure evil." _

Tony shakes off the doctor's words as he continues to stare into Evie's eyes; so full of innocence, compassion, and affection. He cups her cheek, gently rubbing his thumb across her smooth and milky skin. This woman is not pure evil, she is the exact opposite if anything. And if that damned doctor had half a brain to actually get to know Evie instead of trying to convince her that she is crazy, he would have discovered that for himself.

"Everything's fine. Ready to experience Vegas?" He smiles.

For the next two days (possibly even longer) he wants to worry nothing about the media or the world around him; just him and her. Evie and Tony and their needs.

Evie beams. "Vegas, yay!" She claps happily. She runs up the steps, disappearing back into the plane.

Tony turns to Larry and points at him. "Don't say anything to Evie. I want the next few days to run smoothly and without interruption. She's already been through enough."

"I understand, Mr. Stark. I won't say a word."

"Thanks Larry." Tony pats his pilot's shoulder and goes to head up into the plane, but again Larry stops him.

"Sir? I know that it isn't in my place to say this, but, are you sure you know what you are getting into with Miss Evie? She seems like a wonderful woman and all, but, what happened on the flight over wasn't natural, sir. I honestly believe her to be possessed by something dark. Something that we don't understand. If you'd like, I could call my uncle and have him talk with her."

Tony is taken aback by Larry and he turns his head over his shoulder to gaze back at his pilot.

Why are people trying to talk Tony out of seeing Evie when it should be the other way around? People should be warning her about him, telling her to stay away because he is a serial womanizer and that her heart could be broken.

"You're right, Larry, it isn't your place," Tony replies shrewdly. He is becoming vastly irritated by all the negative comments he is hearing towards Evie from people who don't even know her.

"My apologies, sir. I didn't mean to overstep my place." Larry clears his throat.

Tony nods curtly and finally steps into his plane. He takes a seat across from a giddily bouncing Evie, and his mind begins to go through ideas on what to do once they land in order to let loose.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

He can't take his eyes off of her. She's so...Evie. Tony smiles when Evie skips ahead of him into the lobby of the casino/hotel Caesars Palace. She looks like a kid in a candy shop, her head is snapping in all directions, trying to take in all of the sights at once. Plus she keeps having to push her glasses further up the bridge of her nose to keep them from sliding off. It didn't even phase her that she's dressed in Tony's house clothes: gray sweatpants that are twice her size to the point that her feet are covered, and a matching loose tank top. Her hair is still damp from her shower and frizzing; and she's bare-foot since she took off her shoes in the car on the way over to the hotel from the airport. She was so excited when she saw the hotel that she just bolted out of the car he rented and ran straight into the hotel ahead of Tony.

Point is that she doesn't care! All the women Tony has ever been with worried too much about their appearances because that's all they had going for them in their lives: models, _super_-models , actresses, and the occasional heiress – all live off of their image. But not Evie.

"Welcome back to Caesars Palace, Mr. Stark, how may I help you?" the waitress at the front desk asks, tone sickeningly sweet.

"I believe my assistant called ahead and placed a reservation," Tony states. He fishes out his credit-card from his wallet and places it on the counter.

"One moment please."

"Tony, Tony – this places is so cool." Evie bounces up to him as giddy as a school girl; blue-eyes sparkling. "Are we actually going to stay here? _Here_? No Motel 8 or Motel 6?"

"Only the best, Evie." Tony winks, his pride swelling once he hears her squeal with happiness.

"Okay, we have you at the villa on the top floor." The front desk clerk hands over two hotel key cars while eying Evie with an unreadable expression on her face. Tony, in return, eyes the woman with the same expression – she quickly looks away and he smirks in satisfaction. "Enjoy your stay," she clears her throat, obviously embarrassed.

"Oh we shall, won't we, Evie?" Tony directs to the petite ballet dancer, who by the looks of her eyes roaming the lobby, isn't even paying attention.

"Hm? Oh, yeah!" she beams.

Tony wraps an arm around Evie's shoulders and he guides her to the elevators. He notices the curious stares, the surrounding whispers and the occasional mutter of his name and words of 'Isn't that that girl they were talking about in the news?', but Evie seems to be oblivious and continues to rapidly ask question after question about what their plans are for Vegas.

"Are we going to gamble? But first, can you teach me how to gamble? OH! Can we see Criss Angel, the magic guy? I heard that his show is really awesome. Oh – no! - can we see Bette Midler? I heard that she does a show in Vegas now. No...wait...we should do whatever you want to do since your big day is coming up in two days," she mutters. "What do you want tooo – oh my God! Are you kidding me?" she exclaims.

The elevator doors had slid open, revealing the villa that he and her are to share. Tony watches in amusement as Evie darts out of the elevator and into the room, running back and forth around the spacious villa. He follows her in and from the corner of his eye he spots Evie jumping on the bed in one of the rooms. He faces her fully and and gazes at her with lingering eyes.

"This room is bigger than my apartment!" She laughs, jumping off of the bed and runs up to him. Tony is really surprised when she launches at him, wrapping her arms around his stomach...hugging him? "Thank you, Tony." Her voice is muffled by her face pressing up against his chest. "I've never had anyone be this wonderful to me." She leans back, maneuvering herself so that her hands are on his chest; she stands on the tips of her toes and places a soft and gentle kiss on his cheek.

Tony closes his eyes at the light pressure on his cheek, savoring the coolness of Evie's lips. When he opens his eyes again, she is standing in front of him, cheeks tinged a rosy-red. _She's so...tiny. Delicate. Like a pixie._ He opens his mouth to say something, but comes up short. His hands become clammy, his stomach forms knots, his heart rate accelerates and his mouth suddenly becomes dry. Is he honestly tongue tied? Lost for words? For Evie?

_Oh, dear God, no._

Evie is staring up at him, puzzled and waiting for him to speak.

_Oh, crap, she looks adorable, _Tony inwardly groans. He panics. "How about some lunch?" he hastily asks, mentally kicking himself. It is around lunch time, isn't it? If not, then he's an idiot.

"Uh...yeah, sure, but I think that I should change first," she replies. "You said that you have some clothes for me, right?"

"Yeah! There should be some in one of the rooms, you have to check." Tony is grateful for the distraction, and nervously scratches the back of his neck.

"Are you okay?" she asks, looking at him with concern. "You seem a little jumpy."

"No, I'm fine." Tony shrugs, trying to come up with a good excuse. "I just forgot something really important, but I can probably make a quick stop at the store to get it," he lies. "I tell you what, while you get dressed, I'll go and get it. No biggie."

Evie blinks, head cocking to the side. "Okay...?" she responds slowly.

"Be right back." Tony swiftly points a finger at her and then makes a quick get-a-way to the elevator. The doors open as soon as he presses the button, which he is thankful for. Getting into the elevator he hits the button for the lobby and pinches the bridge of his nose when the elevator doors close. He just made a complete idiot out of himself. And now, he has to buy something in order to support his lame excuse for wanting to leave; something "important". What could be so important that he forgot to bring that made him come out like some sort of ass? He and Evie were having what women would call "a moment", and he ruined it. But it's not his fault! He doesn't know how to talk to women. Sure he can charm them into sleeping with him, but when it comes to an actual conversation...he sucks, big time.

Tony reaches the lobby and scans the bustling room.

What can he buy? What can he buy? He repeats over and over.

Evie changes quickly, so he doesn't exactly have a lot of time. And he really is hungry, so he wants to be quick, too. Sighing, he heads out of the casino and waits by the valet stand for his car.

"Thanks, buddy." Tony pats the valet's back, slipping him a random money bill and gets into his car.

Driving on the crowded streets of Vegas, still trying to think of something "important" to have, Tony glances out of the driver's side window and does a double-take. He just passed a music store that has a large AC/DC poster taped to their window. For some reason Tony thinks of Evie when he sees the poster, and of their long drive to Malibu when he first met her and picked her up from the side of the road outside of Vegas city limits.

Honestly, those were the best five hours in his life that he spent with a woman that hadn't led straight to sex.

An idea comes to mind.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

Blissfully whistling, completely proud with himself for what he's done, Tony holds a beautifully wrapped present that he got for Evie. He is heading straight for the elevator when a woman steps into his path. An attractive woman at that. Tony prolongs his whistle and eyes the woman from head to toe: long, tanned, shapely legs; a tight fitting, short silver sequins dress; tons of make-up; fake green contacts; large fake breasts; and bleached blonde hair. His type of woman. Well, hid old type of woman.

"Hi, Mr. Stark," she says in a seductive tone, a smirk is on her lips. "I heard that you were in the city and just had to met you. I love your work.

"Care to join me for a drink? My treat." She winks.

Tony smirks because he is liking what he is seeing. "I..." he trails off, spotting something—no, someone—from over the blonde's shoulder.

A part of him was screaming at him to accept the strange woman's offer because she was obviously an easy lay, but, as soon as he sees _her_, it's like the woman in front of him turned invisible and didn't exist.

She is wearing the clothes that he had Pepper buy for her: dark blue skinny jeans; black ballet flats; and a simple cotton navy-blue shirt. Her hair is still damp from her earlier shower and is falling to the small of her back in messy waves. She is in simple casual wear, but is still lovely to look at. She appears to be nervous too, judging by the looks of her standing in the same spot and only gazing at her surroundings. She catches his gaze and smiles widely, revealing her straight, white teeth, and she waves at him enthusiastically.

Tony completely blows off the woman and walks around her towards his new target – earning an offended scoff.

"Who was that?" Evie asks Tony as he gets into earshot.

"I don't know," Tony answers with a shrug. He holds out the present so that it is within Evie's eye sight.

"Is that for me?" she gasps.

"Just something that I thought you could use," he replies smoothly.

Evie giddily bounces up and down on her feet, clapping merrily. "Yay!" she squeals and snatches the present from Tony's hand. She rips off the wrapping paper and smiles down at the stack of AC/DC CDs. "Aww, thank you," she says with a smile. She lifts her chin in the air, adding, "I shall listen to them all until I know each song by name. Now," —she loops her arm around his— "it's time for lunch." She takes a few steps forward before stopping. "Where is lunch?"

Tony laughs, pats her hand, and steers her off in another direction. Is it odd that he would rather spend an hour just hanging out with Evie rather than an hour tumbling around in bed with a stranger? If you had asked him this question a week ago, his immediate answer would have been: "Hell no!" He would take pleasure over, well, no pleasure any day.

Then again, he didn't know Evie a week ago.

And yet he knew Pepper for years.

What does that say?

For as long as he could remember, while having Pepper on his payroll, Tony has been with countless women without a single thought about Pepper and what she might think; but he only met Evie a week ago and he hasn't had sex with anyone besides her since. He went without sex for five days before he and Evie finally did it. FIVE DAYS. Do you know how long that is? It's a new record! Before Evie, he only lasted, maybe, three days without sex.

Whoa.

Tony takes Evie to one of the restaurants in the casino. And while waiting for their attendant, he watches her look through the stack of CDs that he got for her.

A waiter comes to the table and places two menus in front of them, asking, "Good evening. May I offer you something to drink?"

"I'll have a double shot of your oldest scotch," says Tony.

"And for you ma'am?" The waiter directs to Evie.

"I'll, uh. What do you recommend?" she asks.

"Well, most of our female costumers order the Long Island Ice Tea. Would you like to try that?"

"Sounds good. I'll take one." Evie nods.

"I'll be back in a moment with your beverages and to take your order." He leaves.

"Man, I'm starving," Evie moans and opens her menu. "When was the last time we ate?"

Tony, too, eyes the menu with hungry eyes. "Mr. Wong's, which was well over half a day ago. It's a miracle that we haven't fainted yet," he answers.

All the anxiety from the previous day must have distracted them so much that the thought of eating hadn't crossed their mind.

"That long?" Evie gawks.

Their waiter comes back to the table and places one drink in front of Tony and Evie. "A Long Island iced tea for the lady, and a double shot of scotch for you, Mr. Stark; complementary of the house."

"Ooh, yay! My first alcoholic drink in Vegas." Evie claps, drinking from the straw. She then gasps, facial expression showing pure ecstatic. "What if this night turns into the stereotypical night in Vegas and I get drunk, meet a handsome stranger, and," —she leans in close, whispering— "we _do it_." she giggles.

Tony chokes on air, going into a fit of coughs. "What?" he manages to sputter out. She's talking about getting drunk and banging a stranger in front of him? He thought that she shared the impression of them being an item.

Evie continues without realizing that Tony is gawking at her with his mouth hanging open. She tilts her head, seemingly lost in her thoughts. "Is it true that people become more attractive when you're drunk? Because if so then if I do..._do it_...with some stranger, then he wouldn't really be attractive would he?"

Tony leans forward, intrigued because he catches something that he has noticed Evie has the tendency to do. He pushes his jealous thoughts of her sleeping with a man that isn't him in the back of his mind, and commands, "Evie...say sex."

"Say what now?" she questions, eyes wide.

"Sex," Tony repeats. "Say it."

When Evie's mouth opens and closes, Tony tries to hold in his laughter and amusement. She is fumbling for words, and her cheeks are flushed red. However, he sits patiently, taking the occasional sip of his complementary drink.

"...I…uh...can I say intercourse instead?" she asks, hopeful.

Tony shakes his head. "Sex," he says firmly.

"Fornication?"

"Sex."

"Coitus?"

"Sex."

The waiter is still by the table and he shuffles on his feet, obviously uncomfortable, but Tony ignores him and continues his interrogation on Evie, wanting to hear her say the word: sex.

"Copulation?"

"How do you know so many substitutes for the word sex?" Tony questions with genuine puzzlement. "It's simple to say. Sex."

"How about love making?" she tries to persuade.

"Evie," Tony says sternly.

"Tony," she whines, throwing her head back. "That word sounds so..._dirty_."

"We're not going ordering food until you say it." Tony stubbornly crosses his arms over his chest and huffs.

"Uh. Should I come back later, sir?" the waiter asks nervously.

"No. Stand there and wait," Tony replies.

Evie sucks her lips into her mouth and she too crosses her arms over her chest and pouts childishly. "Fine," she grumbles in defeat.

Tony puffs his chest out in satisfaction, smiling pompously. He closes the open menu in front of him and props his elbows up onto the table's surface, resting his head on top of his laced fingers and stares at Evie expectantly. She is still pouting, but then she sits up straight and slides her Long Island Iced Tea closer to herself and drains the tall glass of its entire contents. Tony raises a brow, his jaw slacking. Is she seriously drinking all of the tea just so that she can say the word Sex?

Still, Tony watches Evie with a mixture of awe and fascination, and is impressed that she can down an entire Long Island without pausing for a break.

_She must be able to hold her liquor quite well,_ he ponders.

"Ah," Evie sighs, pounding a fist to her chest and then burps in an unladylike fashion. "...Sex! Woo!" She throws her hands up in the air, throwing up two peace signs in the process. She catches a few people's attention by her loud exclamation. "Sex – ooh, I said it again. Boo-ya!" She turns to the waiter. "I'll have the spaghetti and meatballs, please."

Now it is official: Tony has successfully tainted the sweetest woman he knows; and, yet, he doesn't feel ashamed about it. Actually, he's quite proud. This is what she wanted in order to become more "Black Swan-e".

Tony chuckles at Evie's antics and gazes into her beautiful big, round blue-eyes that are hidden behind her thick rimmed glasses when she turns her attention to him.

"Can I have another one of these, too?" she asks, shaking the tall, empty glass.

The waiter nods while writing down the order, his face is visibly flushed. He clears his throat. "And for you, Mr. Stark?"

"Chicken Parmesan," he orders folding up his menu and handing it to the waiter. He is amused and excited to spend some more alone time with the woman sitting across from him.

This is Evie's first time and Vegas and Tony wants to give her the time of her life, Tony Stark style.


	11. Vegas, Tony Stark Style

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © __F0REVERM0RE_   
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

**Chapter Eleven:**  
Vegas, Tony Stark Style

* * *

As the waiter picks up the empty plates off of Evelyn and Tony's table, Evelyn is drinking the remainder of her second Long Island iced tea.

"Shall I charge this to your room, sir?" the waiter directs to Tony.

"Yea," Tony replies.

The waiter nods and leaves the two alone.

"You should really take it easy on the Long Island's. I don't want you getting drunk too soon," Tony advises.

"But it tastes sweet," Evie responds, she takes another sip.

Tony snorts "Yeah – to cover up the seven shots of whiskey."

Evelyn's eyes widen. She peers down a her delicious beverage in shock. "Seven shots of whiskey? But it taste so good." She takes another sip.

"Stop it." Tony chides lightly, he takes away Evelyn's drink. She whines childishly in protest.

"Lets get back to the room and get ready for tonight."

Evelyn feels her glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose and pushes them up with the tips of her fingers. "What's wrong with what we're wearing now?" she asks.

Tony raises a brow, as if the answer is completely obvious. However, Evelyn is drawing a blank.

"Evie, you're with me now, so might as well get use to living large and in the fast lane. We're in Vegas which is known only for their gambling and drinking and shit; and this being your first time, I want it to be memorable. We are going to get _fucked_ up. So...then again, you might not remember tonight. Well, if you wake up with no recollection on what we did — mission accomplished." Tony grins.

Evelyn's jaw is slack. Her eyes are wide in shock. She gazes at Tony with a mixture of emotions: horror, awe, fascination, terror, fright.

Is she ready to do something like this? The ultimate test of badassam?

Hell yes she is!

Slowly, a smile creeps onto Evelyn's lips. "Lets do it."

Tony grins almost immediately in return. "I love your enthusiasm." Then he frowns. "I hope Pepper bought you a dress; it wasn't on the list I gave her. We might have to buy one."

"For the awards?" asks Evelyn.

Tony shakes his head. "For tonight. Come on. Don't forget your CD's."

Evelyn gathers her newly acquired stack of AC/DC CD's and trots behind Tony. Their destination are the elevators in the main lobby, but Evelyn's eyes couldn't help but wonder around the lavish hotel and casino. They are wide in wonderment.

She has never seen a place so lively. Yes, she lives in New York City, but she never really got out much – only when her friends (what little she had) would coax her out for a drink or two at some grungy underground bar.

_Note to self: spend a day at Time Square when I get home._ She has heard great things about that place.

While wondering around the lobby, Evelyn's eyes land upon a small boutique. More pointedly, the cocktail dress on the mannequin displayed behind the window. It's stunning, at least to her it is. The dress is silk in appearance and colored a beautiful dark burgundy, and it is strapless with a square cut neckline; it is tight at the top, all the way down to the waistline where the fabric then flairs out and is gently scrunched up; and around the waist there is a thick black silk strap tied in a bow at the side.

Evelyn stares at the dress in awe. She didn't realize that she had subconsciously changed direction and stopped following Tony. She is now standing in front of the mirror, gaping like an idiot.

She has to have it.

Strolling into the boutique, Evelyn is immediately approached by a sales associate.

"Hi, welcome to La Petit, I am Susan. Can I help you find anything?"

"That dress, on the mannequin." Evelyn points to the mannequin. "Can I try it on?"

Susan smiles, but Evelyn notices that the sales associate doesn't even look at the dress; instead, her eyes trail down Evelyn's body. "That dress is nearly $1200. I have to ask if you can afford it before I remove it from the mannequin," she says with a supposedly "friendly" smile.

Evelyn's smile falls. "So I can't just try it on?"

"Do you know how many people come in and ask if they could just try on some of our clothing, only to then rip or wear out the fabric?" Susan questions, tone light.

Evelyn, dejected, hugs her CD's to her chest.

"Oh. Okay. Sorry to bother you then." Evelyn sluggishly walks out of the boutique and heads for the elevators. Her head is tilted down, staring down at the polished floor.

A hand slides across Evelyn's back and rests on her hip. "Evie, you gotta stick with me or you'll get lost." It is Tony.

"What's wrong?" he then asks.

"Sorry, I found a little boutique over there called La Petit."

"Oh? See anything you like?"

Evelyn pushes her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. She nods. "A dress."

"Where is it? Did you charge it to the room?"

Uncomfortable, Evelyn shuffles in place. "They didn't let me try it on," she mumbles.

"What?"

"They didn't want to take it off the mannequin unless they knew that I could pay for it."

Tony gently grips Evelyn's upper arm. "Where is it? The boutique."

Evelyn motions with her head towards the upcoming brightly lit store. The two words that she had failed to noticed before when she first walked in are large, white and in elegant cursive above the two glass doors: La Petit.

"Is that the dress?" asks Tony. His eyes are focused on the dark burgundy cocktail dress Evelyn was admiring only minutes before. Evelyn nods.

She stops when they reach the boutique's opening. She's nervous to go back in, especially when she sees that Susan is watching and waiting at the inside of the store.

Evelyn hugs her CD's to her chest, again. She never in her life thought that she would ever find comfort in a stack of CD's from a band that she had never heard of before she met Tony.

She shakes her head. "I don't want to go in."

"Why not?" asks Tony. "Don't you want the dress?"

"Well...Yeah."

"Then we'll get the dress."

Tony ushers Evelyn into the boutique, but she makes it difficult for him because she is still hesitant.

Susan comes up to the two. "Hi, welcome to-"

"I want that dress." Tony points to the dress on display and then tucks his hands into his pockets. His tone is firm and leaves no room for Susan to defy him. He appears so casual and dominate at the same time. Evelyn is in awe yet again.

"You are _so_ awesome," she finds herself whispering. Tony grins at her from over his shoulder, and he winks.

Susan scrambles over to the display mannequin and quickly unzips the cocktail dress. She briefly struggles to take it off of the mannequin, but she manages. She quickly trots over to Evelyn and extends the dress in her direction. "The dressing rooms are towards the back."

Tony comes up from behind Evelyn and takes her CD's. She can feel his warm breath blow on the side of her face.

Evelyn holds out the dress in arms length so that she could check and see if it is her size. _It's going to be a tight squeeze._

"Go and try it on," Tony coaxes.

Evelyn jogs to the dressing rooms, her excitement has returned. She quickly undresses and removes her bra, slipping on the dress. The dress fits like a glove. A little on the snug side though, and she has difficulty pulling the zipper all the way to the top since it is placed in a weird place where she couldn't fully reach it. She needs help, but she refuses to ask for Susan's assistance (even though that's her job.) Evelyn toughens it out and stubbornly zips the dress on her own. She exhales proudly when she successfully zips the dress.

She gazes at her reflection on the mirror bolted to the wall. The dress is stunning and hugs her frame so that it shows that she actually has a curvy waist line, however subtle they are. It ends a few inches below her thigh; not too short yet not too long either.

The only thing Evelyn doesn't like, is her hair. She would have to fix it up once they get back to the room. Otherwise, Evelyn wants the dress.

She has to show Tony. Eagerly darting out of the dressing room and back to the main part of the boutique, Evelyn expertly. spins in a circle, modeling the dress for Tony to see. "What do you think?"

It seems that she interrupted a conversation between Susan and Tony, but Evelyn didn't care at the moment. She notices Susan's expression of dejection on her face and Tony's trademark impassive I-could-care-less-about-you-I'm-Tony-Stark-bitch ignorance of Susan's quiet pleas to forgive her for any rudeness she may have given off. Evelyn has seen it a few times, his aloofness. Only few people could successfully grab Tony's full attention. However, Evelyn can see something in the way Tony's jaw is locked and his eyes are hard. This is new. With the way he is treating Susan, the sales associate, Tony can be quite cold when he wants to be. She wants to apologize and he could care less.

"Is that really silk?" he asks, stepping forth. He rubs the fabric between his fingers. "Better be for $1200."

"Yes, that is real silk, Sir," Susan eagerly says. She has some major ass kissing to do.

"I like it." Tony runs his fingers along the curve of Evelyn's spine, causing her to shudder. "We can do a lot with this dress." He grins down mischievously at Evelyn. She blushes.

Tony peers over his shoulder, towards Susan. "We'll take it."

"Good choice, Sir." Susan beams. Evelyn scowls. Of course the sales lady would be nice to Tony and not her. "Shall I charge it to your room?" Tony nods.

"Anything else I can do for you?"

Tony's chin falls to his chest. He is staring at Evelyn's feet. "Heels," he declares. Evelyn peers down at the flats that she is wearing. They're black and plain; too plain for such a pretty dress.

"We have a few selections you can choose from along the wall near the accessories. Would you like for me to show you some of our best sellers?"

"Nah. We'll figure it out on our own," says Tony.

He pulls out one of their hotel keys from the back pocket of his jeans and extends it to Susan. Susan takes the card, cheeks flushed.

Evelyn can tell that Susan thinks that she obviously screwed up when blowing Evelyn off when she wanted to try on a dress in her boutique.

_Maybe next time she won't judge someone by first glance,_ Evelyn purses her lips.

She and Tony head for the wall that is lined with row after row of various types of shoes. Each has its own little cubbyhole. Evelyn scans each cubbyhole with her eyes and then hears Tony set down her CD's. A certain pair of shoes catches her attention and she reaches for them. They are black with an impressive thin and spiky heel of six inches. However, it is the black ribbons that are meant to wrap around her calves that really intrigues Evelyn. The shoes remind her of ballet shoes, only with a six inch heel.

Sitting down on the wooden bench, next to her CD's she notes, Evelyn beings to strap on the shoes. Although, she sees Susan nervously watching from the corner of her eye.

Evelyn sighs and feels sorry for the poor woman. "Can you help me tie these up?" she asks. Susan's eyes light up and for once a genuine smile spreads across her face. She giddily strolls over and kneels in front of Evie, easily lacing up the ribbons around Evelyn's calves.

"Why did you choose this particular style?" asks Susan. "Usually our costumers go for the Christian Louboutin's."

"The who-a-whatta?" Evelyn blinks.

Susan chuckles. "He's a famous shoe designer. His shoes are known for making women feel sexy."

"Oh," Evelyn utters. She looks down at her shoes in wonder. Susan is almost done lacing them up. "I like these, though. They remind me of my ballet shoes."

Susan raises a brow. "You dance?" Evelyn nods. "Professionally or just for fun?"

"Professionally. I work for the New York Dance Company."

Susan's eyes widen. "Oh. That's...that's impressive."

Evelyn smiles. "Thank you."

Evelyn can tell that Susan wants to talk to her more, but is interrupted when Evelyn feels something cool against her neck. She goes rigid, but quickly relaxes when she touches the foreign object and realizes that it is a necklace. She turns and cranes her head up to see Tony securely clasp the necklace.

He got her a necklace. _So that's where he went._

Evelyn raises the necklace into eye-level. It is stunning. Simple yet beautiful. The chain is long, thin and a glimmering silver. At the center hangs a diamond encrusted swan.

Without asking Susan if she is done lacing up her shoes, Evelyn bolts up and twirls around, enveloping Tony in an embrace. Her arms wrap around his neck, and her face nuzzles his shoulder blade. "It's beautiful," she murmurs thickly. "Thank you."

"Anything for you, Evie," he murmurs in return. Evelyn's heart flutters in her chest, and her stomach becomes filled with wild butterflies.

Withdrawing from the embrace, but still keeping her palms on Tony's shoulders, Evelyn smiles bashfully at him. They are at eye-level. Crinkling her brow, she peers down at her feet and sees that Susan did finish lacing up her heels and that they make her taller. She is almost at Tony's height.

Evelyn turns to face Susan. She smiles. "Thank you."

Susan nods. "It has been my pleasure," she replies. "Again, I apologize for the way I acted."

Tony's hold around Evelyn's waist tightens at Susan's apology. Evelyn ignores this and nods. "It's okay."

Fully pulling away from Tony, Evelyn asks Susan, "Do you have a mirror where I can see how the shoes look?"

"Of course." Susan directs Evelyn to an oval body length mirror which has its own stand.

The shoes go great with the dress. The straps are not too tight to where they look like they are squeezing the life out of Evelyn's legs, instead they appear to almost be a part of her skin. Just like her normal ballet shoes. To test them out, Evelyn performs some basic ballet warm-ups. She grins at her reflection.

She really misses dancing.

But then her smile falls. The shoes must be just as expensive as the dress. She is spending Tony's money, not hers, and this makes her feel guilty. She hasn't earned such treatment. The underwear and clothes that he bought for her had a reason: to make her feel sexy; more Black Swan-e. It was a part of their deal. But the dress? The necklace? And now the shoes?

"I should take them off," she mutters.

"What's wrong? Do they hurt? Or do you not like them?" asks Tony from behind Evelyn. "I think they look great with that dress."

"They're too much. You already bought me the dress and necklace."

"So it's about money?" Tony raises a brow.

Evelyn peers down at the floor, feeling like a child who is being reprimanded. She shuffles in place, nervously fingering the sides of the dress.

"It's my money, Evie. I can do with it as I please. Hell, I can buy you everything in this whole damn boutique if I wanted to. It's my decision."

Evelyn could have sworn that she saw Susan nearly faint at Tony's announcement of buying everything in the boutique.

She nervously peers up at Tony from behind her lashes, pouting slightly.

"I've got a shit load of money. You could say that I'm filthy rich. And if I want to spend it on you, I'll spend it on you—with or without your consent." He turns to Susan. "We'll take the shoes as well."

Susan shakily nods. "A-anything else?" she asks hopefully.

"Just the dress and shoes," says Evelyn. She has to put an end to the spending while she could.

Susan's shoulders slump and she trots over to the cash register at the front of the boutique.

Evelyn bashfully and cautiously takes a step towards Tony. "I'm sorry if I ruined tonight's mood."

Tony sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You didn't," he responds. "It's just that I never had a woman tell me not to spend money on them before. It's a weird feeling."

"Aren't those called Gold Diggers?" Evelyn questions benignly.

The corner of Tony's lip rises. He chuckles.

"Sorry that I snapped at you." It is his turn to apologize.

Evelyn smiles softly. "It's okay. I just...I feel like I don't deserve to be spoiled like this." She tilts her head down, fiddling with her fingers. "I haven't given you anything in return for all that you've done for me."

Tony lifts Evelyn's chin up with the tips of his fingers. His thumb rubs her chin gently. And his eyes are peering into her own with such intensity that Evelyn's lips part and her breathing comes out in small, ragged breaths. "You've given me plenty."

He leans in closer. Evelyn tries to swallow the lump forming in her throat. She licks her dry lips, eyes half-lidded in anticipation of the upcoming kiss. She leans in closer.

"Okay you're all set and...Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt anything!" Susan gasps.

Evelyn jumps back and away from Tony, startled. Her entire face and neck is flushed red in embarrassment. "It's a...er...We weren't...I was just..." she stammers, fumbling for an excuse.

Susan is obviously trying to suppress a grin. "You're all ready to go, Sir," she directs to Tony. "Here is your room key."

"Ready, Evie?" Tony questions.

"I have to get my clothes from the dressing room." Evelyn heads for the back room of the boutique and gathers up her clothes. After, she gets her CD's and briefly waves at Susan as she passes the woman on the way out of the boutique.

She and Tony are back on track to the elevators. Her heels daintily click against the floor as she trails close behind him. When they reach the golden doors, Tony pushes the call button. Both stand patiently, waiting for an elevator to be available. Quietly. An awkward silence. Evelyn's shuffles her feet and hugs her CD's and clothes to her chest.

Uh-oh. This is what she wanted to avoid. She likes Tony a lot and wants him to be a part of her life for a long time. She doesn't want to ruin that by the possibility of there being something other than a strong friendship between them. What if they break up? What if he grows bored of her because she is inexperienced and not what he usually chooses when it comes to women? Then she'll lose him forever. He's the first real friend she ever had.

The elevator doors open and Evelyn and Tony step inside. The ride up to their room is, again, spent in silence. Evelyn risks a glance over in Tony's direction and flushes when she is caught staring because he is staring right back at her. Suddenly the compact space in the elevator becomes thick—constricting with tension of all kinds. Evelyn feels compelled to get closer to him, even if it is just an inch.

Tony's fingers curl around the silver handlebar in the elevator, and his knuckles turn white.

Is he thinking the same thing as Evelyn is?

The elevator doors open at their floor, and the tension is broken.

Tony sweeps his hand in the direction of their door. "After you."

Evelyn smiles. "Thank you."

"You have your key?" he asks. She nods and fishes in the pockets of her jeans that are in her arms. She withdraws her hotel key and slides it in the slot connected to the doorknob. The light turns green, granting her and Tony entrance into their room.

Evelyn heads for her room. She dumps her CD's and clothes on the bed.

"We'll head back down in an hour. That okay with you?" Tony asks from Evelyn's doorway. She nods. That would give her enough time to do something with her hair and face (adding make-up and such.)

When he leaves her doorway, Evelyn breaths a sigh of relief. She runs her fingers through her hair and goes into her bathroom to finish getting ready. Hopefully after a few drinks—that she knows she is going to have—she would loosen up and forget about the almost kiss in La Petit.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"You have a nice taste in music."

Evelyn smiles. She found a CD player in her room and decided to begin listening to her new AC/DC CD's while she was doing her hair and make-up.

She looks at Tony's reflection on the bathroom mirror and then turns to face him. He is holding out a glass of amber liquid, and he looks dashing in his black slacks and matching blazer with crisp white shirt underneath. The top few buttons of his shirt are undone, revealing the top of his tanned and toned chest. Evelyn tries not to swoon.

"A truce," he says. Evelyn is confused. A truce for what?

"Let's just enjoy your first night in the City of Sin."

Evelyn takes the glass. "A truce," she agrees.

She drinks from the glass and the alcohol burns as it goes down her throat. She coughs. "What is this?" she asks, peering into her empty glass. She shouldn't have gulped it down in a single drink.

Tony smirks in amusement. "Bourbon." He drinks from his own glass, but only sips, which Evelyn should have done. She scowls at him. He laughs.

"Do you make it habit to drink strange liquids that a stranger gives you?" he questions with a raised brow.

"But you're not a stranger."

He leisurely shrugs. "True. But what if I had put something in your drink?"

"But you didn't," Evelyn replies firmly.

"How do you know?"

"Because I trust you."

He is shocked by her answer. He gawks at her as if she grew a second head. Did she say something wrong? She does trust him. Hasn't she told him this before?

He nods curtly and then finishes off his drink. "Ready?" Evelyn nods.

She has tied her hair back into a high pony-tail, curling it in tight curls. Her bangs hand freely, framing her face. But it is her make-up that she had put most of her time into doing. Inspired by the necklace that Tony bought for her, she applied the right about of concealer and then painted her eyes in a smokey Egyptian cat-eye style. The closest make-up design to the Black Swan while appearing natural. The Black Swan make-up calls for both of the eyes to be painted mostly black. Her lips are painted a nice rosy pink.

"You're not going to wear your glasses?"

"They'll hide the make-up," Evelyn responds. "It's all right, I can see fine enough. I'm not that blind." However, what Tony doesn't know is that she is lying through her teeth. Everything is completely blurry, and the drinking they are going to do isn't going to help either, but she doesn't want to wear her glasses with this dress; it's too nice.

"Are you sure?" Tony's tone holds uncertainty.

"I'll be fine." Evelyn smiles, hoping that it would help in convincing him not to make her bring her glasses. It works. She beams.

"Let's go!" she cheers, excited. It is her first night in Vegas, and she would like to have the stereotypical one that she was telling Tony about. Now that would be the full on Vegas experience.

The ride down to the lobby is spent in a more comfortable silence. Evelyn is bouncing in place, giddy. Tony is standing leisurely beside her, his hands tucked casually into his pockets. When the elevator doors open, Evelyn is the first to dart out. Her eyes greedily switch back and forth between the slot machines and the Roulette and Blackjack tables. So many different types of gambling. Which one should she choose first?

"Can you teach me how to gamble?" she asks Tony.

"We'll start small with a simple game of Blackjack," he replies while leading her through the tiny isles of the casino.

"Blackjack, right." Evelyn nods. "That's a card game, right?"

Tony chuckles. "Yes, it is a card game."

Coming up to a half table with a green top, Evelyn sits down on a stool that Tony helps her climb on. He takes the stool next to her. There are two other people at the table besides the dealer, and both of them eye Tony warily.

"Twenty dollar minimum to enter the game, Sir," the dealer states.

Tony fishes out his wallet from the inner breast pocket of his blazer. He doesn't even bat an eye when he removes what must have been a thousand dollars in hundred dollar bills. Evelyn's jaw slacks, though. That's a lot of money to gamble with. Well, at least to her it is.

The dealer counts the money and then announces, "Giving out a thousand dollars worth of chips." Another man, a security guard by the looks of his suit and ear piece, comes forth and takes the money. The dealer slides a stack of black chips in Tony's direction. In turn, Tony slides the chips to Evelyn.

"This counts as starting off small?" Evelyn questions with a raised brow.

Tony shrugs. "It's only a thousand dollars."

He clears his throat, shifting in his stool so that his front is facing Evelyn. "Okay, so the object of the game is to get the number twenty-one or at least close to it by adding together the number of your cards. Jacks, Queens, and Kings count as ten, and Aces count as either one or eleven—it's your choice."

"Starting another round. Players place your bet," the dealer says.

"Place your bet," says Tony.

Evelyn searches for a twenty dollar chip in her stack of chips and places it on the table. The dealer then deals out two cards each for each player, besides Tony, who isn't playing. Both cards are faced up. At Evelyn's back, she has a seven of hearts and a king of spades: seventeen in total.

Evelyn is so engrossed in the game that she doesn't notice that Tony has shifted even closer than before. Somehow he has shifted over onto her stool and she is perched on his knee with his arm wrapped around her waist.

"Can I get you something to drink, Mr. Stark?" A waitress comes up to the Blackjack table.

"Want another Long Island?" Tony asks Evelyn. She nods. "She'll have a Long Island, and I'll take a double shot of your oldest whiskey. Keep 'em coming, I don't want to see the bottom of an empty glass."

The waitress nods. "Coming right up."

"You've got a shot. And if you loose, it's only money," says Tony with a careless shrug. Evelyn casts him an exasperated look, her lips pursed. He grins.

"What would you like to do, Sir?" The dealers asks the man next to Evelyn and Tony.

"Hit me."

"What does that mean?" Evelyn whispers to Tony.

"That he wants another card," he whispers back.

"Ooh." Evelyn nods.

The man already has six in diamonds and a nine in clovers: fifteen. The dealer gives him an extra card, which turns out to be an eight of hearts. Making the total to be twenty-three.

"Twenty-three. Sorry, Sir, but you bust." The man sighs, rubbing his face. Evelyn kind of feels sorry for him.

"Ma'am?" The dealers directs to Evelyn.

"...Uh..." She looks to Tony for help, but he simply shrugs. She lightly gasps. He's leaving her to fend for herself! Looking back at her cards, she decides to risk it. "Hit me," she repeats the words used by the player before her.

The dealer flips her a card. It is a four of clovers.

Holy crap. Did she just get twenty-one on her first try?

"Twenty-one," announces the dealer. "You stand. Next player. What would you like to do, Sir?" he asks the last player.

"I'll surrender." The dealer nods and takes half of the man's chips.

Before Evelyn could ask what the term 'Surrender' means, Tony answers her unspoken question. "Because you have twenty-one, he doesn't have a chance at winning unless he can tie you, which is highly unlikely, so he is surrendering. He doesn't lose all of his bet, just half. You can only surrender on your first hand."

The dealer flips over his faced down card. "Dealer busts. Congratulations, ma'am, you win."

"I won?" Evelyn blinks. "That fast? Really?" And when she receives double of what she put down, the fact that she won finally dons on her. "I won!" she cheers, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Let's play again. Can I play again?" she asks Tony with a beaming smile.

"Sure. Tell you what, I'll join in, too." He exchanges more money for chips.

The waitress comes back to the table with Evelyn's Long Island and Tony's whiskey. Evelyn readily takes a drink of the delicious beverage.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"Woo-hoo!" Evelyn cheers after winning another around of Blackjack. She jumps in place and envelops Tony into an embrace, squeezing.

She is no longer sitting on his lap because she is standing because she couldn't bring herself to sit still for more than a few seconds. She's on a winning streak, as Tony calls it.

"Now I know why people come here all the time," she says, taking another sip of her fifth Long Island of the night. "We should come here again after I land the lead role of _Swan Lake_," she adds full of confidence that she would get the part.

Evelyn doesn't know if it is her or the alcohol or the butt load of money she is winning from gambling, or maybe even the fact that Tony is giving her his full attention, but she feels like she could do anything without any problems. She feels on top of the world!

Releasing her hold on Tony in order to get back to the game, she stumbles. Tony steadies her by wrapping his arm around her waist again.

He chuckles. "Easy there, Evie."

Okay, so it definitely is the Long Island talking—with its seven shots of liquor.

"I think you might have had enough for right now. Why don't we head back up the villa and sleep off some of that liquor," he advises. "We'll start again in a couple of hours."

"Okay," Evelyn hums. She is feeling a little light headed.

Tony gathers her winnings and puts them in his pocket.

"Bye everyone! Hope you have a great time for the rest of the evening!" Evelyn waves at her fellow players, some of which have just recently joined the game because she and Tony were causing quite a bit of ruckus. She receives a few whistles and cheers and calls of Good-bye.

"They were fun," she remarks. She leans against Tony as they walk side-by-side. Tony wraps his arm around her neck; she loosely drapes an arm around his waist.

"How much did I win?"

"You got nearly eight-grand. Congratulations." He grins down at her and kisses her temple. "Maybe we should try the Roulette table after your nap; really test out your winning streak."

"You're not going to take a nap, too?"

"Unlike you, I know how to hold my liquor."

"Hey!" Evelyn lightly smacks Tony's chest. He chuckles.

"We'll if you're not going to take a nap, then I'm not going to take a nap," she declares. "Oh—let's go to a club or something, I feel like dancing."

"You really feeling up to it?" Tony's is skeptical.

Evelyn nods. She is fine. She feels pumped from gambling, actually. She wants to keep going. She wants to experience whatever she can in a single night. The only thing that is bothering her are her eyes. Her struggle to see to her best ability without her glasses is really taking a toll on her eyes.

She and Tony leave the hotel and stand by the curb instead of heading for the valet stand to get Tony's car. Evelyn questions this.

"If we plan on drinking more, we need a taxi to bring us safely back. Besides, the traffic here is a bitch and I'm not a very patient person." Tony scowls almost childishly. Evelyn giggles at the pout on his lips.

A taxi pulls up in front of Evelyn and Tony. Tony holds open the back door for Evelyn to climb in first. When the cabbie asks where they want to go, Tony gives him a name of a club that Evelyn has never heard of before.

As the driver takes them to their wanted destination, Evelyn stares awestruck out of her window. Vegas is beautiful. There are so many monuments and bright lights. The Eiffel Tower is even here along with the Sphinx! _Amazing._

Feeling a soft pressure on her hand, Evelyn tares her gaze away from the beautiful scenery and turns to Tony. He laces his fingers with hers and gently squeezes. Her heart flutters in her chest, and a small smile bashful smile graces her lips.

The taxi slows to a halt. Evelyn peers out of Tony's window and sees the guarded door of a booming night club. A long line is formed, seeming endless. She sighs. Looks like they have a long wait before they get in.

Tony gets out of the taxi, bringing Evelyn with him. He doesn't even look at the line, he waltz straight for the large burly man standing in front of the door and behind a red-velvet rope. The doorman nods at him and steps aside. Evelyn's jaw slacks. They don't even have to wait in line? Tony tugs at Evelyn's hand and he leads her into the club.

The base of the loud music pumps through Evelyn's veins. Her entire body is pleasantly vibrating to the beat.

Tony is in the lead. He weaves through the crowd, and Evelyn makes sure that her grip on Tony's hand is tight so that they wouldn't lose contact with each other, causing for Evelyn to get lost into the sea of dancing and sweaty people. They head towards the back of the club where there is a cut off section separated from the dance floor by yet another red-velvet rope. The V.I.P section. And without hesitance on the bouncer's part, she and Tony are let in.

Dang. Being with Tony Stark has it perks, doesn't it?

The V.I.P section of the club is only a tad quieter than the rest of the building.

Evelyn plops down at a booth, and she coos at the plush seats. Her feet are aching in protest for not accepting Tony's advice of taking a short break before continuing with their night. Tony plops down next to her, and without thinking, she drapes her legs across his lap, wanting to get them off of the floor for some much needed rest. She sighs in content when Tony, in turn, drapes an arm around her neck. She snuggles comfortable underneath his arm.

He snickers. "Told you, you should have taken a break."

"Shutta up," Evelyn practically slurs. "This is the first time I do anything like this before. Just give me five minutes and I'll be totally ready to party," she says none-too convincingly.

Tony runs his fingers through her curls, mumbling against her hair, "Whatever you say." Evelyn closes her eyes, enjoying the closeness.

"Can I get you two something to drink?"

Three different kinds of waiters in one night. Evelyn thought that that would never happen to her.

"We'll have some sparkling water," Tony orders for Evelyn. However, she doesn't stop him. She has had too much to drink; water will do her some good.

"Be right back," says the waitress.

"You should probably eat something, too. It will help soak up the alcohol," he then mutters to himself. Evelyn only grunts in response.

She is exhausted. The alcohol is finally kicking in. She is about to tell Tony that maybe they should head back to the hotel and rest like he originally planned, but then the club plays a certain song that sends a jolt through Evelyn's body. It feels like she downed gallons worth of energy drinks. Her head snaps up from Tony's chest.

Lady Gaga's _Poker Face_ begins to play.

"That's our song!" she shouts, jumping up to her feet. Which oddly don't hurt anymore. She tugs on Tony's hand, wanting him to go to the dance floor with him.

"Since when is this our song?" He quirks a brow.

"Aw, come on, Tony. Let's dance," Evelyn tries to persuade Tony into dancing with her. "This is the first song we ever listened together." She walks backwards and then turns around so that she slinks past the red-velvet rope and the bouncer and steps directly onto the dance floor. She doesn't go far because she wants to stay in Tony's view. Her limps begin to move to the beat of Lady Gaga, and then she soon looses herself in the music.

Immediately she is surrounded by other clubbers who want to dance with her. At first she dances with a few of them to the song, but before she knows it, someone pulls her away from her place between a man and a woman and draws her to their chest. It is Tony. Evelyn beams.

Sadly "their song" ends, but another plays, and then another and another. And like their Tango at the little Italian restaurant, it is just she and him and no one else. They talk, or at least attempted to with the loud music: giggle, drink (besides sparkling water), and simply enjoying each others company. Having fun.

"I'm hungry," Evelyn bluntly announces about an hour later. She burps up air in a unladylike fashion. She tastes her new favorite drink—a screwdriver—on her breath.

Tony sits in a slouching position in the booth, appearing completely relaxed. He tips back the rest of his drink. "Told you," he smugly remarks. He yawns and stretches, placing his empty glass on their private table. "Let's go get some grub."

Standing, he holds out a helping hand to Evelyn. She takes it, and he hauls her up to her feet. She stumbles and falls onto his chest, releasing a drunken sputter of laughter. Tony snickers, wrapping an arm around her waist so that he is holding up most of her weight.

They stumble out of the club and walk down the busy sidewalk to hail a taxi. Evelyn is relying on Tony to help her walk straight, and him vice-versa it seems. Her ankle gives out from walking on heels for hours, causing for her to stumble and almost fall to the ground, bringing Tony with her. They both laugh, but steady themselves.

Tony whispers something in Evelyn's ear, but she is more focused on the warmth of his breath that softly blows down the side of her neck, causing for her hairs to stand on end. She savors the pleasant feel.

Her eyes flicker to the passing buildings, and various neon signs catch her attention: XXX; Girls! Girls! Girls; Live Nudity; and All You Can Eat Buffet.

She is sold.

She stops walking and points. "Ooh, boobies! And they have an all you can eat buffet. Let's go in."

"You do realize that that is a strip club, right?"

Evelyn grins impishly. "Remember when you thought that I was a stripper? I think that I have every right to see what they exactly do."

Tony's mouth opens and closes in disbelief. His eyes switch back and forth from Evelyn to the strip club. In a sudden, jerky movement he grabs Evelyn's hand and darts into the strip club. Evelyn giggles as she follows close behind.

The inside of the club is dim. The only source of light is a slowly spinning disco ball that is expelling various colors ranging from blue, red, green, purple, and all the colors of the rainbow.

There is only one dancer on the main stage, and she is already undressed down to nothing but a little black thong. Evelyn scrunches her nose up at this. Thongs are uncomfortable. However, there are other dancers walking along the floor, flirting and stripping for the customers whom are willing to pay. Said strippers stop whatever they are doing and turn their gaze to their the new addition.

"I wonder what kind of food they have," Evelyn ponders out loud. She rubs her belly when is lowly rumbles.

"Food isn't really the first thing on my mind when I come into a strip club," Tony quips.

"Can I interest any of you in a dance?" Evelyn's attention is diverted from Tony and her stomach, towards a rather stunning looking woman in a matching pink lace corset and panties. She is wearing heels much like Evelyn's, but hers are clear and the heel is far more higher and more spiked. Her hair is blonde and neatly curled, framing her heart shaped face. She wears a seductive come-hither smile on her glossy pouty lips.

Tony faces Evelyn. "What do ya say?"

She shrugs. "That's what we're here for. Commence in the removing of your clothes!"

The woman raises a brow at Evelyn. "Would you like a private dance in the champagne room?"

"There's champagne?" Evelyn's head perks.

"There can be," Tony is quick to respond.

"Then lets do it," Evelyn agrees. "Lead the way...uh..."

"Starla," the dancer finishes.

"Is that your real name or your stripper name?" asks Evelyn innocently. She truly wants to know.

Starla smiles. "My stripper name."

"Follow me." She beckons Evelyn and Tony with a neatly manicured nail. She heads towards the back of the club (what is it with the back of places being the most exclusive?) and pulls back a red curtain. Behind the red curtain are a number of doors with different letters on them: Room A, Room B, Room C, etc. And Starla takes Evelyn and Tony to Room B. "Make yourself comfortable."

Evelyn climbs onto the velvety red couch in front of a circular table that has a pole embedded in the center. Tony plops down next to her, while Starla heads over to another table that has a stereo on it. She presses a few buttons and music begins to play.

Is it strange that Evelyn feels completely calm? Is in almost in a zen like state? She sighs in content and props her feet up onto the table, shifting into a more comfortable position.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

Picking at her basket of fries, Evelyn takes another sip from her champagne glass. She leisurely watches as Vixen, a new stripper, undresses for her and Tony's entertainment. Starla's shift ended and she said she would have stayed but she had to return home to her son. Evelyn then made Tony give her more money.

"I wonder what my stripper name would be," Evelyn questions out loud to no one in particular. Although, she has successfully drew Tony's attention away from the willowy Vixen.

"You look like a Bubbles to me," he answers.

"Bubbles?" Evelyn giggles. "I like it.

"And coming to the stage—the amazing Bubbles!" She mimics the voice of a male announcer holding a microphone, cheering for herself by giving herself self-applause. Tony chuckles into his champagne glass.

Clambering to her feet, Evelyn climbs onto the stage along side Vixen.

"You want to try?" Vixen asks, amusement clear in her tone. Evelyn nods, to which Tony whistles in encouragement.

"I'll give you three-hundred dollars to go away, right now," he says to Vixen.

Vixen places her hands on her hips. "Make it five-hundred and you've got a deal."

Evelyn watches the exchange in bewilderment.

Tony gives Vixen the money she asked for, and she leaves, leaving Tony and Evelyn alone.

Evelyn leans against the pole. "Why did you ask her to leave?"

"Because I want to be the only one to watch." His voice is low and husky, filled with hidden wants of desire and satisfaction that strikes at all of Evelyn's secret places.

She sinks to her knees in front of Tony, placing her palms between her parted legs. Her head cocks to the side as she gazes at him in wonder. Everything about him keeps drawing her in, like a moth to a flame. He shifts so that he is leaning towards her with his elbows propped up on his knees. They're faces are inches a part.

"So—do you come here often?" he quips.

Evelyn smiles. "This is my first time actually, so please be gentle."

Tony's brow furrows. "Evie-"

"Call me Bubbles."

A wolfish grin graces his lips, amplifying his already attractive features. "Bubbles," he corrects himself. His tone, however, grows serious, "Have you ever been with another man before?"

Evelyn frowns. "What do you mean?"

"Sexually. How many men have you been with?"

"How many women have you been with?" she counters, feeling obligated to feel offended. Why should it matter to him how many men she has slept with?

"Are you worried that I might have given you some disease or something?" she asks, crestfallen.

"What? No! It's just...You're so..."

"Inexperienced," she finishes, a deep frown on her lips. She shifts, uncomfortable by the subject. Peering down at her hands, she quietly murmurs, "I know that I'm almost going to be thirty, yet act like I'm still a child. But if you really think about it, take away the first thirteen years of my life that I can't for the life of me remember, and I'm only sixteen."

She licks her lips, releasing a shaky breath. "Once. I've only done it once," she brings herself to confess. She is overcome with extreme embarrassment and shame. She gains the courage to look Tony in the eye. "With Yuri before he left for Russia." She snorts. "It was horrible. I honestly think that we did it wrong." Her mouth quirks to the side and she shakes her head. "It was nothing like the way you did it. But then again, you had, like, _loads_ of practice. So you basically cheated."

Tony raises a brow. His eyes are dancing with amusement and something else that Evelyn can't quite place. Pride? Arrogance? "I cheated?" he questions slowly, like he couldn't wrap his head around why he cheated at being better in bed by having tons more sexual partners than compared to Evelyn's one time.

Evelyn nods. "Totally cheated."

Tony launches forward, taking Evelyn by surprise by capturing her lips in a heated kiss. His right hand cups the back of her neck, holding her in place, while his left caresses her face. Instinctively, Evelyn returns the kiss and lifts her bottom off of the table's surface so that she eases Tony back onto the couch. She crawls off of the table and onto his lap, placing her legs on either side of him, straddling him.

His hands slide down from her face and neck, to the small of her back and down to her bottom where he squeezes, earning a gasp from between her lips.

She smiles against his mouth, running her palms along his chest, tugging at the buttons of his shirt. He groans and shifts so that she lying beneath him on the plush cushions. His lips move from her mouth, along her jaw and down to her neck where he nibbles at her sensitive skin. His hands travel along her legs, up to her chest where he massages her breast from on top of the dress's fabric.

He pulls away and turns his head down to Evelyn's shoes. His fingers trace the satin straps tied around her calves. "I like these," he murmurs breathlessly. "I think we'll leave them on."

And Evelyn looses control. Looses herself in all that is Tony Stark.

* * *

**(A/N) Author's Note:** I have a request for you my lovely readers. Would any of you like to make some fanart for this fanfiction? I'll post the pictures/edits on my page if you do, giving you credit as well. It's just that I like to look at the pictures I created for this fanfiction because I get inspiration from them. And if I have some fanart created by you, my faithful readers, that would double my inspiration to update and finish this series. You don't have to make me anything if you don't want to; I'm just asking. If you do make something for me though, tell me in either a review or PM so that I could give you my e-mail and I could get the picture from you. Or you could paste the picture link up on your page and I could go on right over and snatch it real quick.

And if you have forgotten, or haven't looked at the story information on my page:

Evie is portrayed by the actress Zooey Deschanel.


	12. Reality Check

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © __F0REVERM0RE_   
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

**Chapter Twelve:**  
Reality Check

* * *

It's hot. Why is it so hot? She's sweating, and she feels like she can't breath.

Groaning at the dull ache pounding in her head, Evelyn snuggles close to the lumpy body pillow, hoping to soak up its coolness. She wraps her leg around the pillow, but shifts when she feels added warmth.

Hold on. Evelyn's hands roam the lumpy pillow. Are pillows suppose to have legs, arms, muscles, and a heart beat?

Opening her eyes, Evelyn finds herself entangled with someone she doesn't recognize. Though this can be because his head is facing the other direction, away from her sight. She swiftly_—_as not to rouse the sleeping man_—_untangles her limbs from his and quietly slides off of the bed.

Why is she still wearing her high heel shoes?

Evelyn tries to take a bed sheet with her so that she can cover herself, but when she tugs at the cool, soft material, it unravels from on top of the man and reveals him in all his glory. Silently gasping, she shuts her eyes and turns her head away for added measure.

Outstretching her arms, she begins to feel for the door. Finding the knob, she opens and quickly shuts it after she exits. Leaning against the door, she sighs in relief.

Evelyn opens her eyes in search for something to cover herself up with, but then she notices something odd. She is in her and Tony's villa.

Oh God, no. Did she bring a complete stranger to Tony's villa?

Does he know? And if so, where is he? Unless he's in his room with another woman; jealousy boils Evelyn's blood. However, she shakes her head clear of these feelings. She and Tony cannot be together.

And, so, back to her current predicament, Evelyn beings to panic. She needs to find a way to sneak the man out of the...Wait a second. Evelyn finds her gaze settled on the open door of her room; she can see inside of it- the bed is still neatly made with the chocolate mint on the pillows. Which means...she didn't come out of her room in the villa...she came out of _Tony's...?_

Tentatively opening the door that she just came out of, Evelyn pokes her head in. She inspects the form of the sleeping naked man on the bed with tinged cheeks. She can't help but bite her bottom lip and let her eyes linger on his tone and tan body. Even though her vision is slightly blurred, he still looks good.

She needs a closer look in order to get a clear picture of the man.

Walking on the tips of her toes, which is effortless because of her profession (and the heels), Evelyn creeps over to the man's side of the bed. His face is buried underneath the fluffy, white pillow. Reaching forward, she gently lifts the corner edge enough for her to see his face. She gasps and drops the pillow.

It is Tony.

_Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!_

Evelyn runs out of the room and back into the center room.

_What in the hell happened last night?_ She wonders, running a shaky hand through her hair (which is undone from its high pony tail that she originally had it in.) She hardly remembers a thing.

"_Well, if you wake up with no recollection on what we did — mission accomplished," Tony grinned._

_Mission, indeed, accomplished,_ Evelyn inwardly sighs. Man, then she and Tony must have gotten really drunk last night.

Maybe when Tony wakes up, he won't remember anything? Maybe he won't put two and two together, like Evelyn did when she woke up. She just has to pretend like nothing happened when he wakes up.

_Good plan, Evelyn,_ she inwardly cheers.

Then again, maybe nothing did happen? Sure they may have both been naked when she woke up, but that doesn't really mean anything, right? They might have just gotten really, really hot_—__and heavy__—_and had to take off their clothes in order to cool down. Yeah, that's it!

Tony said that he has feelings for his assistant, Pepper, and those kind of feelings don't just go away because of a plain Jane like Evelyn. Besides, he can have any woman he wants; he can simply announce that he wants some company for the night and then _BAM__—_women will come flocking to him by the numbers.

She needs to get out of here; at least for awhile.

Evelyn peers down at her nakedness. Perhaps she should put on some clothes first?

After quickly dressing into a pair of pin-stripped shorts and a deep charcoal gray shirt, Evelyn runs a brush through her hair in hopes of making herself look semi-presentable. She chose to keep the ballet like heels on because, frankly, it is time consuming to undo the straps, and she wants to get out of the villa as fast as possible.

Putting on her glasses, she sighs in content at how sharp and clear her vision becomes.

Making sure to have her room key, she leaves the room and enters the elevator, pushing the button for the lobby. However, once she enters the bustling lobby, she doesn't know what to do to take up time.

_Where is that restaurant Tony took me to last night? I wonder if they serve breakfast?_ Evelyn wonders through Ceasars Palace. She doesn't find the restaurant that Tony took her to, but she finds a place where she can order some breakfast at a bar table that has a kitchen behind it. Looks nice. She's not picky.

"I'll have some orange juice and your number three breakfast special," she tells the bartender.

"Wait," she stops him; "can you charge the bill to the room key? Because I don't have any cash on me." She doesn't want to order and eat the food, only to discover that she has to pay cash.

"Only if you are staying in this particular hotel," the bartender replies. "Are you?" Evelyn nods. He smiles. "Then you'll be fine."

"Thank you," says Evelyn.

She first gets her orange juice, and she patiently waits on the bar stool for her food, sucking the juice from a pink straw.

"Good morning, Miss Evie."

"Larry." Evelyn is happy to see the pilot as he takes a seat next to her. "How are you enjoying your stay in Vegas? I hope Tony and I aren't keeping you from your family or anything."

"Nah; called the wife, and she understands," he replies. He then orders a cup of coffee, black.

"What's her name?" Evelyn asks; she still has the straw in her mouth.

"Mable."

"How long have you been married for?"

He heavily exhales. "Going on twenty years."

Evelyn smiles genuinely. "Congratulations," she says. "I hope someday that I can celebrate a twentieth with my husband."

Larry raises his coffee cup. "I wish you and Mr. Stark the best." Evelyn's face flushes and she peers down into her orange juice shyly.

"Well, not necessarily with Tony," she corrects. "I mean," her brow furrows, "he's Tony. Can you imagine him ever settling down and getting married?"

Larry frowns. "I guess I see your point."

"You know, you're the first to ever not want something more with Mr. Stark," he says.

It is Evelyn's turn to frown, albeit sadly. "I never said that." Larry raises a brow in her direction. She shrugs a shoulder. "I just know that if he ever wanted to settle down, it wouldn't be with me, but with someone worthy of him."

"You don't think yourself worthy?"

"Definitely not," she immediately answers with an unladylike snort.

"And why not?"

Evelyn, in response, looks towards Larry with an 'You're joking, right?' expression on her face. She's all kinds of messed up. She's a failed ballet dancer, barely clinging to her job; she's certifiably insane (she has a mental hospital ID band to prove it); she apparently has DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder); she can't remember the first thirteen years of her life; she's supposedly possessed by a demonic spirit named Drusilla; and she nearly killed him, along with Larry and the flight attendant Mary because she had an episode which almost caused for his private jet to crash. There's probably more that she can't exactly think of off the top of her head at the moment.

And Tony deserves someone, well, not crazy.

"You know, I may be able to help you with that."

"How? Did you find out more about Drusilla?" she asks, remembering to when Larry mentioned that he has an uncle who is a priest and exorcist.

"No; but I can give you his number and you can call him. I've already told him of your case and he's interested to hear from you, to hear what you have to say."

Evelyn mulls over Larry's offer, and nods. "Okay."

Evelyn's plate comes and she quietly eats. There is a small television bolted to the wall above the bar, showing the local news; the current news headline that the anchor is talking about is the upcoming Apogee Awards and how Tony is the honored guest.

_That's right; that's tomorrow, isn't it?_ Evelyn remembers. Tony asked her to go with him.

However, the news quickly changes while still staying on the topic of Tony Stark. Evelyn has to read the captains popping up on the screen in order to know what the anchor is talking about.

_'According to the New York Times, Tony Stark has outdone himself,'_ says the anchor. _'Never has there been any press such like this on him before; but is it true? Is Tony Stark a part of a government conspiracy for a special bio-weapon? That's right, folks, you heard correctly: bio-weapon.'_

Evelyn's jaw slacks as a picture of herself shows up near the anchor in a small square box.

_'Her name is Evelyn Addams and she is a ballet dancer for the New York Dance Company; and according to a secret source close to Stark – she is his latest creation; a weapon that is _completely_ human. Apparently, she still has a few kinks to work out though.' _The anchor chuckles. '_According to the source close to Stark, she malfunctioned on the way to New York on-board of Stark's private jet and nearly caused for it to crash!...'_

Evelyn turns her gaze away from the TV and towards Larry. His eyes are settled on the TV, too.

"Mary went to the newspaper, didn't she?" she asks him, her voice just above a whisper.

Larry's face is grim, and he doesn't look Evelyn in the eye; however, he nods.

"Did you know about it?" He nods.

"Does Tony know about it?" He nods.

"How long?"

"Just yesterday, when the paper came out."

Evelyn frowns. "They're blaming him for my..." she can't bring herself to finish her sentence. She no longer feels hungry and pushes her plate away. "...I can't do this to him anymore."

"Anymore?" Larry voices his puzzlement.

"He has been trying to help me uncover my past that I can't for the life of me remember, and I haven't done anything for him in return to show my gratitude; besides have sex with him," she bluntly states. It doesn't even phase her that she had said the word Sex instead of 'doing it' or other synonymous in an attempt to not say the dirty and embarrassing word (she has come a long way.) Larry uncomfortably clears his throat. "And that," she gestures to the TV, "is a whole new level of burden. It's too much!"

"What are you going to do?"

"I..." Evelyn frowns. "I...I'm not going to see him anymore," she sighs miserably. "I'm going to go home."

"How are you going to get there?"

"I'll have to call my sister and have her buy me a plane ticket." Evelyn cringes as she says this. She feels like a huge freeloader; for the past few days she hasn't paid for anything. Anything. _I'll write both Tony and Emily a check,_ she mentally notes.

"Well," Larry shuffles in his seat, scratching the back of his neck, "if you want, I can give you a lift back to Malibu?"

"On the jet?" Evelyn shakes her head. "No, I have already taken too much."

He awkwardly shrugs. "It's fine. There's enough gas in there for me to take him back home after the awards."

"I don't want to get you into any trouble," she mumbles in concern.

"It's the least I can do, Miss Evie. You're...you're a kind woman, and I'm sorry that it couldn't work out between you and Mr. Stark." He smiles solemnly.

Evelyn nods and rises up from her stool. "I'll just go and get my..." she trails off. None of the things upstairs belongs to her; she never paid for them. Plus, there is the chance that Tony is awake and wondering where she is. She'll have to talk to him; tell him good-bye.

She feels queasy.

"Can...can you take me home now?"

Larry momentarily freezes, mid-drink. "Now, now?"

Evelyn wrings her hands. "If it isn't too much trouble."

"You're not going to say good-bye?"

"I don't think I can."

Larry presses his lips firmly together, forming a thin line. "And you're sure about doing this?"

She hesitantly nods.

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

She steps out onto the stairs, but stops. She turns around to face Larry. The entire duration of the flight back to Malibu (which only took about forty-five minutes), she has been clutching the swan necklace Tony bought for her last night. It is the last thing, besides her clothes, that he got for her...and she can't keep it; not without being tempted to see him again. She has to leave him for the sake of his reputation.

Evelyn unclasps the necklace and extends it to Larry. She doesn't bother to fight back the tears sliding down her cheeks to her chin.

"T-tell him that," she sniffs, "I'm...I'm sorry, and thank you."

Larry takes the necklace.

"I wish you the best of luck," he says to her. She smiles weakly.

She listlessly waves her fingers at him. "Bye Larry."

He waves in return, along with a curt nod. "Good-bye, Miss Evie."

Evelyn climbs down the steps leading down from Tony's private jet. Her last time on it and she didn't even enjoy it. She walks through the busy airport and out to the front where she hails a cab. She gives the cab driver the address to Emily's house.

The car ride is silent and bumpy because Evelyn doesn't feel like striking up a conversation with the driver like she normally will do if she were back home in New York.

_Can I even go back?_ she wonders. If anyone has seen the news lately, they will know who she is and where she lives since they gave out that she works for the New York Dance Company. No. She will go back, just like she planned, and she will audition for the role of the Swan Princess, again, just like she planned.

However, if she doesn't get the part she will...stop. Just stop. Dancing is all she knows how to do, but apparently she's not good enough at it. She has never gotten a lead role before, and she's nearing thirty. She has never heard of a ballet dancer (a well known one that is) who is beyond thirty. She done; over with; burnt out...old.

As if her life can't get even more messed up.

Where will she go? There is always Emily who is willing to lend a helping hand, but she can't stay with her baby sister forever. Evelyn doesn't want to be a mooch. She'll just have to find a place of her own...somewhere. Maybe Malibu so she can stay near her only remaining family; or maybe someplace different. Someplace new.

Thirty-years-old isn't too old to start a new life is it? Not that she's thirty yet; that's still quite a ways away.

The cab slows to a halt in front of Emily's house.

"Can you wait here a minute?" she asks the driver. She has to go inside and get her wallet so that she can pay him.

"Sure thing," he responds.

Evelyn climbs out of the cab and walks inside of the house without even knocking; luckily the door is unlocked. She heads straight for her room, and she passes a gawking Emily who is sitting on the sofa next to Richard, watching TV with Sam and Danny play on the space in front of them.

"Where have you been?" Emily demands. "Why didn't you take your cellphone with you? I've been worried sick for the past three days! Where did you get those shoes? They're too high; they look like something a stripper would wear!"

Evelyn ignores her sister and heads back out of the door and pays the cab driver; she makes sure to give him an extra tip because she wants someone to at least be in a good mood today. Just because she is feeling miserable doesn't mean others around her have to feel the same way.

When she is back inside of the house, she is meet with: "Evelyn Marie Addams, answer me this minute!"

Feeling even more miserable because her _baby_ sister is more mature than she is and is bossing her around, Evelyn storms into her room and slams the door shut. She plops down on the floor with her legs sprawled out in front of her. She just sits there, staring off into space.

How can her life turn to shit in a matter of a week?

Tentatively, her bedroom door opens. "Evie?" Emily calls out both softly and meekly. "Are you all right?"

"Was I always so naive?" Evelyn murmurs to the air, not really expecting an answer.

"What?"

"Has my life always been shit and I just never noticed?"

Emily gasps. "Okay, what did that asshole do to you? I don't care who he is and how much security he's got coming out of his ass – I'm going to kill him."

Evelyn chuckles humorlessly. She shakes her head. "Tony didn't do anything." Her lips twitch "He tried to help."

She can feel Emily sit down next to her on the floor; both of their shoulders are touching.

"What happened?" Emily asks softly.

"I had my eyes opened."

"I don't understand...?"

"Tony took me to New York to remember my past."

"Evie! You're not-"

Evelyn cuts off her sister. "I went to The Place," she says with a frown. "Dr. Macintosh said that I was never a patient there."

"What? Of course you were. I even have his card that he gave mom just in case you relapsed!" Emily protests.

Evelyn sluggishly shrugs. She just can't bring herself to care anymore. "He wanted to readmit me." Tears, again, slide down her cheeks. "I'm messed up, Em. Really messed up."

"Oh...Evie..." Emily embraces Evelyn, holding her tight. "You are not messed up."

"Oh, but I am," Evelyn replies, monotone. She then tells Emily of everything that has happened in the past three days that she was with Tony, and she can feel Emily's body stiffen.

"Well..." Emily stammers. "At least you got your dad's name out of it. Maybe we can look him up and see what he looks like?" she says, trying to sound hopeful. However, Evelyn can detect something hidden underneath her sister's tone that causes her entire body to go slack.

"...You're scared of me...aren't you...?"

"Of course I'm not scared of you. You're my big sister, and I will always love you."

Evelyn frowns because that doesn't answer her question. Her very own sister is scared of her. Evelyn pushes Emily away and rises to stand, and when Emily stares up to look at her, Evelyn can see the sliver of fear in her sister's eyes; it breaks her heart (more than it already is.)

She breaks the gaze and turns away. She rummages through her things and finds her check-book. "I have something to do; I'm taking Mom's car. It's under the tarp in the garage, right?"

Emily nods and then gulps. "W-where," she clears her throat, "where are you going?"

Evelyn shrugs a shoulder. "Just to drop off something."

Emily frowns. "No one has driven mom's car since she died, not even Richard, and you know how much he has been itching to touch it. It might not even start."

Evelyn doesn't really listen to Emily and she gathers her cellphone, wallet, and check-book. She heads out of her room and to the garage, passing a concerned looking Richard (the kids are no where in sight.)

Opening the garage door, she turns on the light. There is a key-rack hanging inside of the house beside the garage door, and Evelyn's eyes scan the hooks for a familiar set of keys that once belonged to her mother. She finds them and snatches them off of the hook.

On the far side of the garage is a car-shaped object hidden underneath a large blue tarp. Evelyn pulls off the tarp to reveal her mother's precious baby (which is only because she won it off of Scott after their divorce; she was bitter that he chose to leave her and she decided to take what was precious to him: his car) , a 1957 Chevrolet corvette convertible. It only seats two, but it is beautiful and in great condition; looks almost brand new. The cherry red paint is unblemished and shimmers underneath the florescent lighting of the garage; the wheels are the original vintage Firestone white tires; the interior leather is red to match the paint job; and the wheel is large and white. A car to be admired; a car that will turn heads.

But, like Emily mentioned, it hasn't been turned on since their mother died, so it might not turn on. Evelyn doesn't care; she is determined that it will work for her.

She can feel the eyes of Emily and Richard on her as she is surely acting out of the norm to her usual bubbly personality when she gets into the drivers seat. She inserts the key into the ignition and turns. The engine sputters but it does not turn on. Evelyn does it again, but is met with the same results.

"Evie, maybe I can take a look under the hood for you?" Richard offers.

Evelyn's nostrils flair in anger. "No," she snaps.

She turns the key again, and she feels a tingling sensation travel down her arm, to her hand, and then to her fingers which are turning the key. Suddenly, the engine purrs to life beautifully. She grins in satisfaction. She opens the glove compartment and withdraws her mother's garage remote.

Evelyn drives off without saying good-bye. It looks like she might be picking up a pattern.

First she has to make a quick stop to the store and pick up some supplies, but then her next destination will be a place where she has only been to once.

**[Pepper]**

Pepper pulls up to Tony's gate of his Malibu home to collect the days mail so that it won't pile up while he is away. Away. Pepper sighs, trying to shake the sinking feeling that has taken place in her chest for the past two days; ever since...

"_I could have loved you."_

_Why didn't I say something earlier?_ Pepper briefly closes her eyes and leans her head back against the headrest. She has always known that her boss held some sort of flame towards her, but she only thought that it is because she has the ability to tell him No; or at least she convinced him to think that. She, like all the others, had fallen for his charm like a rock after its been thrown in the river. It's hard NOT to fall in love with Tony Stark; he's that kind of man.

Her eyes veer towards the diamond bracelet still dangling on her wrist.

"_I could have loved you."_

_That's too bad, because I already love you. I always have._

Pepper shakes her head clear of Tony and opens her side door, which starts the continuous beep that informs her that a door is open (like she didn't know that already.) Her brow furrows, however, when she notices a box underneath the mailbox. She didn't expect a package to be delivered.

_Maybe he shipped something back to the house?_ she wonders.

When she goes to the box for closer inspection, she sees an envelope tapped on top of the box with Tony's name written in cursive. An obvious woman's signature.

Pepper groans. It must be another "present" for Tony that some of his "admires" send in hopes of gaining his affection. Pepper hates these kinds of packages because most of the time they contain naked pictures, underwear, and on weird occasions, some hair and blood, so he can always have a "piece" of them forever. What the women don't know, though, is that Tony never opens the packages, he expects Pepper to do it, and he only accepts the gift on rare occasions, like when some of the richer girls buy him things that he actually likes (one time a woman bought him an entire tool box with a complete set, which he still uses.) He, however, never replied to the poor girl; just kept the present.

Picking up the package, and emptying the mail box, Pepper places the box on the passengers seat and tosses the mail in her glove compartment.

Curious, she plucks the envelope from on top of the box and opens it. Inside is a check and a short letter. And after reading the signature off of the check, Pepper discovers that the box is from Evie, the woman that Tony said that he is in love with.

"Why is she giving him $10,789 and 15 cents?" Pepper questions out loud.

She eagerly reads the letter, looking for an explanation.

_Tony,_

_I appreciate all that you have done for me. You've helped me more than anyone else has ever had before._

_I'm sorry that Mary went to the press because of me. And I'm sorry that I left without saying good-bye._

_I'm, just, sorry for everything._

_Here is a check to repay for all of the gifts that you have bought for me, which I cannot accept; not anymore. I don't deserve them. I know that it's not much, but it's all that I have in my savings account._

_And if you haven't by now, I had given Larry the necklace that you bought for me to return to you._

_Please don't come and look for me._

_Evie_

Pepper stares down at the letter with her mouth hanging open. Did Tony just get dumped by his first girlfriend?

Pepper has seen the news claiming that Tony is a part of a conspiracy dealing with bio-weapons. Heck, her phone has been going off continuously since yesterday from reporters and TV producers wanting a scoop or an interview; something. And she has been meaning to call him and ask what the deal is, but she hasn't gotten around to it yet because of the sudden spike in attention he is getting. She's been trying to talk down the rumors. She knows that Tony doesn't have a contract with anybody concerning bio-weapons, and it is absurd that people believe such rumors.

They probably just can't handle the news that he finally has a girlfriend and are grasping at straws as to why he has been seen with the same woman on multiple occasions. Like it is impossible for Tony to stick with one girl for longer than a single night.

Oops, correction, _had_ a girlfriend.

A spark of hope ignites in Pepper's heart, replacing the emptiness.

She turns her attention to the box and opens it. She raises a brow as she sees what is inside. "Shoes?" Inside is a pair of high-heel shoes with long black straps.

Subconsciously, Pepper reaches for her cellphone. She ignores the many missed calls she has since they are from the media, and she dials Tony's number. He needs to know about what she just found at his front gate...if he doesn't know already that is.

"Yeah?" Tony answers clipped and absentmindedly.

"I just found something interesting underneath the mail box that you may want to know about."

He sighs. "Can it wait? I have to find-"

"It's from Evie."

"...Evie's there?"

"No, but it looks like she was. She left you a note, a check, and a box containing shoes. What is that about?"

"...Read the note..."

Pepper nearly drops her phone when she hears the anguish in Tony's tone. And for some reason, tears pool underneath her eyes; she can feel his pain.

She reads the note, verbatim. "And the check is for the amount of $10,789 and 15 cents."

Silence.

"Tony?"

Silence.

"Tony?" Pepper looks down at the screen of her phone and sees that he has hung up on her.

And at that moment, Virginia "Pepper" Potts, personal assistant to Anthony Edward "Tony" Stark, develops a deep hatred for the woman named Evelyn "Evie" Addams because she has broken his heart.

* * *

**(A/N) Author's Note:** Picture of Evie's mother's car on my profile if you're curious, along with a few new gifs and a picture from _xRealityBites_ (thank you, I love it.)


	13. All's Well That Ends Well

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © F0REVERM0RE _  
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

**Chapter Thirteen:**  
All's Well That Ends Well

* * *

_Tony Stark. _

_Visionary. Genius. _

_American patriot._

_Even from an early age, the son of legendary weapons developer Howard Stark quickly stole the spotlight with his brilliant and unique mind._

_At age four, he built his first circuit board._

_At age six, his first engine._

_And at seventeen, he graduated _summa cum laude _from MIT, _Tony mocks the presentation he listened to in order to impress what's-her-face after he missed the awards. He really planned on going, but then, well, he didn't feel like it. He had other things on his mind—like Evie leaving him.

_And then at age thirty-two, he becomes the biggest idiot in the world. _Tony's gaze is focus intensely on his ceiling; he keeps hoping that he is in a dream and that he will wake up soon.

The events that have taken place the last two nights are coming at Tony full force, and for the first time in his life he feels regret and shame at himself. Instead of going after Evie like his gut was screaming at him to do, he went downwards in a complete 360 and reverted back to his old self.

His main regret currently? What's-her-face, the...eh...fifth woman he slept with in the past two days. He just wanted to get Evie out of his head.

Tony turns his head to the side and grimaces when he sees a head of blonde hair. Quietly and diligently, Tony reaches over for his watch on the nightstand and checks the time; it is 5:30 A.M.. With the same diligence, he gets out of bed without waking what's-her-face and gets dressed. Sneaking out of his room, he heads for the spiral staircase which leads to down to his workshop/garage.

He finds Pepper sitting in the living room, and says, "She's all yours."

What she says in return causes for Tony to stop dead in his tracks. "Back to your old habits, hm?" He ignores the comment and continues down the staircase. Typing in the code in the keypad by the garage door, he enters his workshop.

Pepper's voice comes from the intercom. "Don't forget, you have a plane to catch in half an hour."

"I'll only be a sec," he responds, but he knows that he is lying.

With a heavy sigh, he plops down on a stool. The garage is the only place where he can be alone and think. However, the deafening silence is driving him nuts; his leg bounces.

_He wakes with a yawn. Stretching, he reaches over for the other side of the bed, expecting to feel the familiar touch of soft and supple skin, but instead he feels the cool and thin bedsheets. Confused, Tony sits up and looks around the room._

"_Evie?" he calls out. He receives no answer._

_Shrugging it off, thinking that she is just in one of the bathrooms, he gets out of bed and slips on a pair of sweats. He reaches for the hotel phone and orders room service for himself and Evie._

"_Evie," he strolls up to his bathroom and knocks on the closed door, "the awards are tomorrow night and I was thinking that today we can go shopping for a dress that you can wear."_

_Again, he receives no answer._

_He knocks again. "Evie?"_

_No answer._

_Cautiously, he opens the door and finds the bathroom empty. Maybe she's in her room? Tony checks, but he soon discovers that the entire villa is empty; he is alone. Where did she go? If she went downstairs, she will surely get lost._

Great_, Tony sighs. _Hopefully she didn't go far.

_He changes so that he can go down to the lobby and look for her. Maybe he should have at least let her grab her cellphone before he dragged her out of her sisters house? Well, too late now._

_Tony goes down to the lobby and searches for Evie, but he has no luck and he is getting annoyed. He is tempted to just shout out her name until she shouts back to him "Over here, Tony!" in her bubbly voice and with that cute little bounce she does whenever she is excited. _

_Where the heck is she?_

_His cellphone rings, and he answers without looking at the caller ID. It is Pepper, and she says that she found something in his mailbox._

"_Can it wait? I have to find..." He trails off when she says that it is from Evie. "Evie is there?" he asks breathlessly. How did she get all the way to Malibu from Vegas?_

_"No, but it looks like she was. She left you a note, a check, and a box containing shoes. What is that about?" _

_She left a note? What note? Why did she leave a note? Why isn't she here with him? Did he do something wrong? Does she regret last night?_

_Crushed, Tony murmurs for Pepper to read him the note. A sinking feeling forms in his chest; he feels like someone reached in and just started squeezing. And as Pepper reads the note to him, he feels himself spiraling downward._

_Evie blames herself for what Mary did. She blames herself for some bad publicity? Why does she think that? Tony has been receiving bad publicity his entire life, it comes with being a weapons manufacturer._

_"And the check is for the amount of $10,789 and 15 cents," says Pepper._

_And on top of that, she is giving him her entire money? Why in the fuck did she do that?_

_Hand clenching tight around his phone, Tony hangs up without saying a word. And repeating in his mind are Evie's words of not coming to find her. She doesn't want him to go and look for her. She wants him to leave her alone._

"_Mr. Stark?"_

_Rigid, Tony turns around to acknowledge the familiar voice of his private plane captain. He goes slack when he sees that Larry is holding out a thin chain to him; it is the necklace that he bought for Evie. The swan necklace because she, no matter what happens with the audition, will always be the Swan Princess in his book._

_Tony meets the gaze of Larry and sees the mirror emotion of sorrow. "She says that she is sorry, sir; and to thank you for all that you've done for her."_

_Tony takes the necklace with a heavy hand. "You...You're the one who took her back?"_

_Larry nods. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry, but I..."_

"_You're fired," Tony says, just above a whisper. He is in shock. The woman that he cares deeply for (possibly loves!), just left him without evening telling him good-bye to his face. And his employee, who works for _him_ not her, took her away from him without his permission or consent._

_Larry is shocked. He has been working for Tony for years, and was his most loyal employee and even friend, but Tony cannot excuse what he has done._

"_I...Yes, sir."_

_Tony is numb. He doesn't say another word to Larry, and he just turns around and walks away, heading for the nearest bar._

_That is where he met the first woman out of five that he has sex with in order to get Evie out of his head. He means—who needs her? He can have any woman he wants! He'll get over her...eventually._

"Problem, sir?" JARVIS' crisp and clean British voice asks the brooding man.

_She left me, and she didn't even say good-bye._ "Nothing, JARVIS. Why don't you play playlist number seven for me, buddy."

Music softly plays at first, and then erupts in a drum solo. Tony feels relief at the loud noise taking over his thoughts; his tension melts away. His eyes veer over to the vintage Hot Rod that he bought a few months ago and haven't had the time to be able to work on it.

He can work on it now. He wants to keep his mind busy.

Completely engrossed with working on his Hot Rod, the only thing on Tony's mind is mechanics. Taking off a piece of the Hot Rod engine, he inspects it with curious eyes but then puts it to the side.

"Give me an exploded view," he says to JARVIS. He looks up at the computer monitor he has placed next to him in order to keep track and log the problems with the car that he is to fix.

"The compression in cylinder three appears to be low," replies JARVIS.

"Log that."

Continuing to dig deeper into the engine, Tony's concentration dwindles when his music turns off. It is hard to believe, but he actually works better when loud music is playing because it drowns out all unwanted distractions; so of course he is slightly irritated.

"Please don't turn down my music," he tells Pepper.

Pepper sighs, voice sounding tired and stressed. "You are supposed to be halfway around the world right now. Didn't I tell you?"

"How'd did she take it?" he asks, referring to what's-her-face.

"I don't know, she's not awake yet."

"Wake her up; kick her out."

"That's a bit harsher than usual," she remarks. "Something the matter?"

"Nope," he replies curtly. He doesn't look away from the Hot Rod. "Why are you trying to hustle me out of here?" He doesn't want to go anywhere at the moment; he just wants to stay in his garage and stay away from the harsh realities of the outside world.

"Your flight was scheduled to leave an hour and a half ago," she replies.

"That's funny, I thought with it being my plane and all, that it would just wait for me to get there," he deadpans. Pepper says something, but Tony doesn't hear it. He feels like letting some steam off of his chest. He spins around on the stool to face his assistant. "I mean, doesn't it kind of defeat the whole purpose of having your own plane if it departs before you arrive?" He stops ranting, however, when he sees Pepper's disheveled hair and exhausted expression. He decides to hold his tongue and let her to her job; for now.

"Larry called. He's got another buyer for the Jackson Pollock in the wings. Do you want it? Yes or no."

Tony is already lost; he tries to remember what he knows about the Larry she is talking about, and asks. "Is it a good representation of his spring period?"

"No. The Springs was actually the neighborhood in East Hampton where he lived and worked, not "spring" like the season."

Tony shrugs. "So?"

"I think it's a fair example," she says. "I think it's incredibly overpriced."

At the word overpriced, Tony is sold. "I need it. Buy it. Store it."

He doesn't miss the smile creeping up on his assistant's face, and the corner of his lip quirks. A frown takes place of the smile when he remembers that he is suppose to be feeling miserable; he gets off his stool and heads for the kitchenette in the garage so that he can get himself some more coffee.

"Okay. The MIT commencement speech..."

"Is in June. Please, don't harangue me about stuff that's way, way, down the road." Pepper interrupts him again, making a decision for him. Tony sighs but lets her do as she pleases.

He tunes out most of the conversation, but when she extends her clipboard to him along with a pen, he asks, but nonetheless signs the document, "What are you trying to get rid of me for? What, you got plans?" He means to sound sarcastic, but when she answers, he is dumbfound.

"It's your birthday?"

"Yes."

He plays it cool. "I knew that." However, he asks again. "Already?"

"Yeah. Isn't that strange? It's the same day as last year," she quips.

Tony feels guilt. Has he really been paying so much attention to Evie that he forgot his own assistance's birthday? The woman that basically runs his entire life. The woman that he has known for years.

"Get yourself something nice from me."

"I already did," she is quick to reply.

Tony raises a brow. "And?"

Pepper smiles bashfully. Tony smirks. "It was very nice," she says.

"Yeah?"

"Very tasteful." She looks up at him from beneath her lashes, the coy smile still on her lips. "Thank you, Mr. Stark."

The sinking feeling in his chest, almost a hole really, is momentarily gone and Tony has Pepper to thank for it. He smiles a genuine smile at his favorite redhead. "You're welcome, Miss Potts."

Maybe he will be okay after all.

And he knows that in Evie's note, she said that she doesn't want him to come and find her, and he can take a hint to back off, but in order for him to get over her, he has to give her her money back because he doesn't want it.

"Do you still have that check from...her?" Tony inwardly grimaces; he can't even say her name.

Pepper's coy smile falls off of her lips, and her face scrunches up in bewilderment. "Yes. Why? Are you actually going to cash it?"

"Nah; I'm going to give it back. It's her entire life savings, I don't want it."

Pepper sighs. "Tony, you have a plane to catch."

"Didn't you say that I'm already late as it is?" He raises a brow. "What's another fifteen minutes?"

Pepper purses her lips. "Fine. Fifteen minutes but no longer, okay Tony? You can't be too late to this presentation."

Tony mock salutes. "Whatever you say Miss Potts."

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

Check in hand, Tony knocks on the door of Emily Blake's house. He subconsciously fixes himself up before the door opens. However, no matter how much he practiced saying good-bye to Evie in his head on the way over, it did not prepare him for this.

Richard, Emily's husband Tony thinks, opens the door, and once he sees Tony, he smiles weakly. "If I were you, I would turn around and get back into the safety of your car before my wife sees you, Mr. Stark," he advices.

Confused, Tony asks. "Safety of my car? Why is she..."

"Who's at the door, Richard?" Emily's voice comes from further inside of the house. Soon, after pushing Richard out of the way, Tony is staring into the blazing eyes of anger which belong to Emily Blake.

"You have a lot of nerve showing up here, Stark," she sneers.

Tony's eyes widen. She is pissed.

Emily steps out of the house and pokes Tony on the chest, hard too. "What have you done to my sister, you asshole?"

"Me? I didn't do anything!" he defends himself.

"Well you must have done something! I've never seen Evie act this way before!"

"What did she do?" he can't help but ask.

"What have you been putting into her head, Stark? She came home talking about being possessed by some demon and how much her life is shit but she never knew it because she's naïve. I've never seen her like that before; so...depressed. That's not like my sister at all." Emily looks solemn and lost, but then she glares up at Tony. "I knew I should have made her stay away from the likes of you. What? Did you came here to rub it in her face some more on how you're a womanizing asshole and that she is just another notch on your bedpost?"

"What?" Tony shouts. What did Evie say to her sister? "She's the one that left me!"

Emily blinks. "Wait? _She_ left you?" Tony begrudgingly nods. "Evie? My sister, left you, Tony Stark?" Tony clenches his jaw, but he nods. Emily laughs. "Haha! How does it feel to get a taste of your own medicine, Stark?"

"Where is she?" he asks, choosing to ignore the comment. He has to clear some things up because obviously Evie has to get the story straight. She left him, not the other way around. He didn't want her to go.

"I don't know. She packed her things and left in my mom's car." Emily shrugs.

"Did she go back to New York?"

"If she did, she didn't tell me anything," she sighs.

"Did she take her cellphone?"

"I think so, yeah."

Tony abruptly turns around and heads back to his car.

"If you find her, please tell her to come back so that we can talk things over!" Emily shouts. He ignores her.

Sliding into his silver Audi, he withdrawals his phone from his jacket pocket. He presses a button on the phone and says, "JARVIS, I need you to track Evie's number; tell me where she is."

"On it, sir," comes JARVIS' reply. And within seconds, he announces Evie's location, giving Tony directions on the GPS on the phone. She is oddly not too far from her sister's house, at a hotel.

"Sorry, Peps," Tony says out loud; he is going to be much longer than fifteen minutes now. He turns on the car and shifts gears, speeding down the quite suburban street with his foot pressed firmly against the gas petal.

___Tony,_

___I appreciate all that you have done for me. You've helped me more than anyone else has ever had before._

___I'm sorry that Mary went to the press because of me. And I'm sorry that I left without saying good-bye._

___I'm, just, sorry for everything._

___Here is a check to repay for all of the gifts that you have bought for me, which I cannot accept; not anymore. I don't deserve them. I know that it's not much, but it's all that I have in my savings account._

___And if you haven't by now, I had given Larry the necklace that you bought for me to return to you._

___Please don't come and look for me._

___Evie_

Tony repeats Evie's letter, which he memorized, in his head as he speeds to the hotel she is staying at (well, at least that is what her cellphone is telling him.) It seems that it will be much more difficult than he originally thought to get over the petite ballet dancer. He normally will not go through such lengths to tell a woman: "Hint taken, I will leave you alone."

Sharply pulling into the hotel's parking lot, Tony parks at the curb in front of the office and lobby and gets out. Walking into the lobby, he goes up to the front desk and is greeted by the rather listless man standing in the back.

"How can I help you, sir?" he asks, tone thick with boredom.

"Did you check in a woman by the name of Evelyn Addams, possibly going by Evie Addams?"

"Even if I did, sir," the clerk yawns, "that information is confidential."

Tony taps his fingers impatiently on the desk. "It's an emergency. I need to talk to her."

"Sorry, bub, can't help ya." The clerk shrugs.

Tony raises a brow. Does he not know who he is talking to?

Reaching into his back pocket, Tony pulls out his wallet and withdrawals a hundred; he slaps it on the desk. "Now can you tell me?"

The clerk eyes the money bill and takes it, folding it up and placing it in his pocket. And, as slowly as possible (which is driving Tony up the wall), he types something on the front computer.

"I did just check in a woman by the name Evelyn Addams yesterday, yes," he declares.

"Great. Which room is she in?"

The clerk doesn't respond. He just continues to look at Tony with an apathetic expression on his round and chubby face.

Tony balls both of his hands into fists. Rolling his eyes, he slaps another hundred dollar bill on the desk.

"Room fourteen, on your left," the clerk says after taking the money, he gestures with his head towards the hall behind him and the desk.

Tony smiles tight-lipped and then heads for room fourteen. When he comes up to the door, he raises his hand to knock, but stops. He is nervous. What is he going to say once he sees her face?

Shaking off his nerves, he knocks. "Evie. Evie, it's me, Tony; I just need to talk with you."

He receives no answer.

He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, Evie, I...I just want to give you the check back. I don't want your money. I understand if you never want to see me again, but I just want to tell you that what happened with Mary isn't your fault. None of it is your fault."

Still, no answer.

He knocks again. "Come on, Evie, open up."

Soon, Tony's nervousness is replaced with anger. Why is she treating him this way? What has he ever done to her to earn such treatment? He has to know!

Marching back to the front desk, Tony is prepared. He holds out three additional hundreds to the clerk. "Please tell me you have a key to enter the room." And the clerk is more than willing to comply.

"So is this chick your girlfriend or something?" the clerk questions, sliding the key card through the key slot of Evie's room. Tony doesn't respond. When the door is unlocked, he pushes the clerk out of the way and enters. His mouth is open, ready to shout, but what he sees before him strikes panic in his heart.

The room is small and quiet. Almost too quite. Evie's luggage is piled up at the corner of the room, the TV is on but the screen is blue. And Evie is on the twin sized bed, bunched up in a ball on her side. Her hair is sprawled out all around her in a mess and she is visibly shaking and groaning and whimpering.

The color drains from Tony's face and he rushes over to the bedside. He falls to his knees next to Evie, and brushes aside some damp hair from her face and forehead.

"Evie? Evie, can you hear me?"

"Dude, if she's a crack head- you need to get her the fuck outta here, man. My boss is going to kill me if he finds out I let another one of these bitches in."

Tony glares up at the clerk, but says nothing. He turns his gaze back to Evie. She is clutching her side, breathing heavily, and her eyes are clenched shut. She is in pain.

His mind is made up. She has to come home with him.

Sliding his arms underneath her body, Tony lifts her bridal style. She is cold.

Her eyes open just a sliver, and she croaks out in a hoarse voice, "T-Tony?"

"You're going to be all right, Evie. Just hang on," Tony coaxes.

"I told you not to come find me," she says. Her tone clenches Tony's heart; she sounds so...broken; tired; exhausted.

Tony's hold on her tightens. He takes her to the Audi but curses when the car is too small; she needs to be laid out. Reluctantly, he places her in the passengers seat in a seating position. His attention goes down to her side, which she is still clenching so tight that her entire hand is white.

With soft hands, he pries her hold free and winces for her. It is the spot that her tattoo is at. Her finger nails and palms are stained with blood. It looks like she tried to claw it off.

"Christ, Evie. What did you do?"

"I want her out of me, Tony. I want her to go away," she whimpers.

Tony heavily sighs. He gently cups her face and then closes the car door. He jogs back to her room, passing a confused looking clerk, to get her things. He gathers her two bags of luggage, but then stops at the TV when he notices that a camera is connected to it; it must be Evie's. He unplugs the device and stuffs it into his jacket pocket. Next to where the camera was is a set of keys and her glasses; he takes them, too.

When he is back outside, he puts the luggage in the trunk of the car and then turns around so that he is facing the parking lot. He pushes the button on the car key, and two beeps come from the most beautiful piece of machinery he has ever laid eyes on. Seriously, he normally will have drooled over such a beautiful car, but at the moment he has other things on his mind.

Getting his phone, he gets into his car and he dials a tow-company to have the car towed to his address. And with one brief look of concern over at his passenger, he ignores the California speed-limit and drives home.

His tires squeal in protest as he slams on the breaks in the front of his house. He dashes out of the driver's side and over to the passenger's side, gathering Evie in his arms. She is limp in his hold, and with haste he makes his way inside.

"Tony? What are you doing...Oh my God, is she okay?" Pepper's tone is filled with panic.

Tony doesn't respond, and he heads straight for his room. However, when he kicks the door open, he comes to a stop when what's-her-face is in the room, half-naked and in the process of getting dressed.

"Aw, fuck," he curses. "Why the hell is she still here, Pepper?" he demands to his assistant. He spins on the balls of his feet and heads for one of his guest rooms.

Pepper sputters a response. "S-she just woke up! Tony, what is going on? Who is that woman?"

Tony lays Evie down on the guest bed, and then runs back to his room to get some supplies to take care of her wound from his bathroom cupboard. He can feel what's-her-face's gaze burning a hole on the back of his head, but he can care less at the time. Lots of women hate him, what's one more?

Tony goes back to the guest room and kneels beside Evie, lifting the hem of her shirt so that he can see her hipbone. The scratches aren't deep and are healing over already, but he wants to disinfect them just in case. However, from beneath the scratches, the tattoo is as visible as ever...and appears to be in red ink instead of black. Evie hisses and groans from his touch.

"Tony?" Pepper's voice is tentative. "Is she on drugs?"

Tony doesn't answer. He is too focused on trying to be as gentle as possible so that he doesn't hurt Evie more.

"That's her, isn't it?" questions a new voice. Must be what's-her-face. "Evelyn Addams, suppose bio-weapon experiment of Stark Industries."

"That's Evie?" Pepper gasps.

"You mean you don't already know who she is?" What's-her-face chuckles. "My Editor is going to love this."

"Take these," Tony says softly to Evie, placing two painkillers in her mouth. He waits until she swallows, and he caresses her face before he rises up to stand. He turns to face the two women who are watching him with keen eyes.

"Listen, you can talk about me all you want in your little magazine article," he says to what's-her-face. "But if you even think about mentioning Evie, I'm going to buy the entire company you work for—just so that I can fire you. Afterward, I'll make sure that you never have a journalist job ever again. You won't even be able to write fucking obituaries."

What's-her-face's jaw hangs open. "Is that a threat?"

"It's a promise."

What's-her-face's jaw clenches tight.

"Now get out of my house." Tony watches as the blonde storms out of the guest room.

"Tony?" At Pepper's meek voice, Tony directs his gaze from the doorway to his frighted assistant.

"I'm expecting for a cherry red 57' C-Corvette to come by tow. Can you pay and sign for it?" Pepper shakily nods.

"What's going on, Tony?" she asks.

Tony sighs; this is too much, just too much. He gazes down at Evie, who seems to have calmed down some, and then decides to explain everything to Pepper if he plans for Evie to be staying with him for awhile.

As Tony tells Pepper what has happened between him and Evie the past week or so, he can see that Pepper's blue-eyes widen slightly with each new detail he adds.

"D-does she actually think that she is possessed by a demon?" She gazes at Evie warily.

"Pepper," Tony sighs, rubbing his face tiredly, "so much shit has happened lately, that I am willing to believe anything."

"What are you going to do? You have the presentation in Afghanistan."

"I can't go."

"But Tony..."

"I'm not leaving her like this!"

"You can't reschedule a presentation like this, Tony. You have to show up."

"Fuck," Tony curses, running his hand through his hair. "Just...just give me a minute, will you? I need to think. Burn those sheets in my room and replace them with new ones. And can you have Happy bring in Evie's bags from the trunk of the Audi and put them in my room, it's parked out front." Pepper nods and reluctantly leaves Tony alone in the guest room with Evie.

Turning back to the bed, Tony kneels down in front of Evie again. She is awake, but she is pale, visibly tired.

"You feeling better?" he asks.

She looks at him with expressionless eyes. "I'm tired, Tony. She wants out, and I'm so tired." Tony remains silent, not knowing how to respond. "I want her out of me, Tony. I want my old life back. I want to be naive again."

"We'll figure something out," is all he can come up with.

"Who was that woman in your room?" she asks benignly. Tony gulps. The corner of her lip twitches. "It's okay if you slept with her, Tony. It's not like we were boyfriend and girlfriend or anything."

Tony frowns. "But what if I want us to be?"

She blinks, and she smiles shyly. "You want to be my boyfriend? Even after all this?"

Tony gathers her hand in his, rubbing his thumb along her clammy skin. He nods.

"But why?"

"Because you're...Evie," he says as if it the most perfect and obvious answer in the world.

She smiles, albeit weakly. "Okay."

"Okay what?"

"Okay, I'll be your girlfriend."

Tony chuckles, but plays with Evie's fingers. "You know, I imagined this to go completely differently."

"How did you envision it?"

"Well, for starters, to have you fully conscious," he jests; she laughs lightly.

"Oh; hold on, I'll be right back." Tony lets go of Evie's hand and jogs back to his room. He notices that his bed is bare, which means that Pepper is doing as he asked. Going to his nightstand, he opens the top drawer and gets Evie's swan necklace. He returns back to the guest room and opens her hand, placing the necklace in her palm. "I think that this belongs to you."

Her fingers curl around the piece of jewelry, holding it tightly. "Thank you," she murmurs wetly.

Tony brushes her bangs to the side, only for them to fall back in front of her face. "You're welcome."

"You make her go away," she says just above a whisper. "When I'm with you, she goes quiet. You make me feel better."

"So you're feeling better?" he asks. She nods.

"I'm sorry that Mary went to the newspaper because of me."

"Evie, if we're going to be in a relationship, you're going to have to understand that I get bad publicity, and it is not because of you. It's because I'm a douchebag who makes billions of dollars off of making weapons of mass destruction. Can you live with that?" She nods.

"And this," he gets the check that she wrote out to him and makes sure that she sees it, "is insulting. I wanted to buy you those things. I'm not taking your money, Evie." He tears the check once, twice, and then three times.

Evie pushes herself up into a sitting position. Immediately Tony tries to protest. "Hey, hey – you should stay laying down."

"I'm okay," she responds.

"You sure?"

She nods and smiles at him. "Really."

She rubs her eyes. "Would you so happen to know where my glasses are?"

Tony removes her glasses from his jacket pocket and gives them to her. She puts them on and then pats the spot by the bed next to her. Before he gets into bed, he takes off his jacket and tosses it to the floor, but when he hears something heavy make contact with the floor, he looks back down at his jacket. He remembers the hand held camera and takes it out of the pocket.

"That was Scott's," Evie says. Her tone changes from normal to low and near quite. "He left a tape in it. I was watching it before you found me."

"What's in it?"

"Something that made me realize that there is something inside me; and I think it's Drusilla."

Tony stares down at the camera with a mixture of emotions: fear, curiosity, fascination. He wants to know what's in the tape, but then he doesn't.

"You can watch it if you'll like."

"You sure?" he asks. She nods.

Tony connects the hand held camera to the TV in the guest room. He sits at the edge of the bed so that he is close enough to control the device, like pause, fast-forward, and rewind if he wants to. He rewinds the tape for a few moments and then presses play randomly.

There is a room, obviously belonging to a young girl because the walls are painted a light pink and the furniture is white with pink flower designs. He can see the edge of a bed, a closet door, and a tiny table with small pink plastic chairs. On the walls are child drawings made with crayolas. And Tony can tell that the camera is hidden on a shelf behind some stuffed animals.

The closet door, on its own, creaks open and then closes. Tony is in shock and blinks, thinking that it might have been a trick of the camera.

The room is quite until footsteps sound from off camera. The bedroom door opens and in runs a smiling little girl no older than two. Tony knows that the girl is Evie, it is unmistakable; creamy white skin, rosy cheeks, long dark-brown hair, and big, round blue eyes.

"I drew'd yew another pick-chur, 'Silla!" the young Evie shouts. She runs up to the table and holds up a large piece of construction paper. "Look, look! There's me, mommy, Scott, and then yew – see? Do yew like it?"

The young Evie lets go of the construction paper drawing and then takes off her backpack, dropping it on the floor, but the picture remarkably remains in the air as if someone is still holding it.

Evie runs over to the shelf where the camera is hidden and reaches for something, which ends up to be a roll of scotch tape. "Can yew put it on da wall, I'm not tall enough yet."

The invisible force tapes the picture on the wall while Evie watches.

"Hey, sowm are missing," she remarks. "Do yew know where they went?"

There is a pause of silence.

"Why would Scott take them, though?" Evie frowns. "He doesn't like my drawings," she says sadly. "At least not thee w-ones with yew in them. He says that you don't exist." She looks up at the invisible force. "But you do exist, right? Because yew are my best fw'end."

"Evie! Come down for dinner!" a feminine voice comes from off camera.

"Coming!" Evie eagerly runs out of the room and away from the camera, leaving the invisible force alone.

Tony thinks that whatever it is left with little Evie, but then a few minutes later, the picture that little Evie drew is plucked off of the wall and then enters the closet again.

As soon as the closet door closes, a tall and lankly man enters the room and heads straight for the camera. He takes it and looks into the lens.

"Lets see who you've been talking to, Evie," he says before turning off the camera.

The scene changes.

At first the camera is directed to the carpeted floor, but then a white door comes into view which is quickly opened. Whomever is holding the camera ignores the little girl coloring at the small table and heads straight for the closet door. A hand, a man's hand, comes into frame and opens the door. He rummages through the closet, but finds nothing but hanging clothes and a stack of drawings neatly stacked on the floor.

"Whatcha doing, Scott?" Evie's voice comes from off camera.

The camera is focused on the drawings, and Tony can see them. They mostly are of a family of three, each person drawn with different colors, but then there is a black scribble that is always next to Evie. The black scribble is in each drawing.

"Who is in this closet, Evie?" Scott demands, directing the camera to little Evie.

"Nobody," she replies.

"Don't lie to me, young lady. Who is in the closet?"

"Nobody."

"Damn it, Evie! Who is in the fucking closet!"

Little Evie begins crying. "Nobody. Honest."

"Then who the hell is Silla?" Scott shouts. "I know you've been talking to her!"

"Sh-she's my fw-end," Evie sniffles.

"Is she in the closet?" Scott asks, but Evie shakes her head.

"Don't lie to me you little bitch!" Scott yells causing for Evie to cry more. "See this? This is what you get for lying." He holds up the drawings he found in the closet and then rips them to pieces.

"N-no! Those are 'Silla's! She'll be-be mad!" Evie cries, hiccuping.

Scott leaves the room, but not without closing the door and locking it behind him. Little Evie bangs on the door, begging for him to open it.

"You are going to stay in there until you learn how to be a normal little girl!"

The camera turns off.

_Holy fuck,_ Tony face slacks.

The scene changes.

Scott is in the frame and he is setting up the camera on the shelf behind some stuffed animals. "This will show Barbra that the little bitch is better off in an institution," he quietly mutters under his breath. He steps out of frame and then leaves the room.

It is night time, and Evie's room is barely visible; the only source of lighting is a nightlight that is off camera.

The closet door opens wide as soon as Scott leaves the room. Little Evie sits up in bed and crawls over to the edge where she is in full view of the camera.

"Scott wants to send me away," she says to the closet. "Yew won't let him send me away, right?"

There is a pause.

"Oh. It's time, isn't it?"

Another pause.

Evie nods. "Okay. As lowng as we can be fw-ends forever." She gets off of the bed and then stands in front of the closet. She holds her hand out and her fingers wrap around an invisible force. She walks into the closet and then disappears. Just disappears.

"That's not possible," Tony murmurs.

He feels the bed dip behind him and arms wrap around his waist, and a chin rests on his shoulder. He knows that it is Evie, and they both continue to watch the tape.

Little Evie comes out of the closet, but there is something different about her. She is expressionless; too expressionless for a child. She walks up to the camera and removes it from behind the stuffed animals. She stares into the lens and smiles a toothy grin.

"Lets see you try and get rid of me now, Scotty," Evie says in fully developed voice; no more misplaced 'w's and misspoken words.

The camera turns off; the screen goes blue. End of tape.

Tony and Evie sit in silence.

"You can break up with me now before it's too late, if you want," says Evie. "I won't hold it against you."

"You were friends," Tony responds.

"I don't remember," she replies. "But I know for sure now that she is not my friend."

"Why do you say that?"

"...Because when she talks to me, she tries to make me do bad things," Evie whispers.

"How long have you been hearing her?"

"Ever since I said that incantation thingy in Latin. It was scattered at first, but she isn't friendly, Tony. She scares me."

"Do you hear her now?" He can feel her shake her head on his shoulder.

"I told you: I don't hear her when I'm with you. You make me feel stronger, and make me want her to go away."

Tony places his hand on top of hers, which is at the center of his chest. "We'll find a way to get her out of you, Evie. I promise."

"What about Larry's uncle? The priest?" she asks.

Tony goes rigid, and he can tell that she feels it. "I fired Larry," he tells her.

"What? Why?" she gawks.

Tony doesn't met her gaze as he tells her, "Because he took you home without my consent."

"I asked him to, Tony." She frowns. "It wasn't his fault; it's mine."

Tony sighs. "I'll talk to him," he says. "But after we get back."

"Get back? Are we going somewhere?"

"I don't want to leave you alone," he responds. "I have a presentation in Afghanistan tomorrow afternoon, and I'm suppose to be on a plane already."

"It's my fault, isn't it?" she asks miserably.

"No," he immediately replies, turning around to face her. "It's mine. I was already late before I found you. I just didn't feel like being on time; it's not my thing," he tries to joke, hoping to lighten the mood. It works, a smile forms on her lips.

"I want you to come with me."

"I'm not sure if I should, Tony. Isn't going to Afghanistan some top secret thing or something?"

"It's my presentation. I can bring whoever I want. You may have to sign a confidentiality agreement, though. Think you can do that?"

"What is it for?"

He shrugs. "Just to make sure that you don't go and steal some blueprints to sell to the competition."

"Oh, well then I can do that," she agrees. "I don't even understand how to work half the things at your penthouse in New York."

Tony chuckles. "I'll have Pepper whip 'em up real quick while you get ready. Pack for an overnight's stay."

"Are you sure that isn't too much work? I don't want Pepper to do more than necessary because of me."

Tony waves at her dismissively. "I have the documents already made; all my employees sign one. She just has to enter your name and print for our signatures." Evie nods, unsure.

Tony grins. He plants a kiss on Evie's forehead and hops off of the bed. "You're suitcases should be in my room, the one that we, uh, found what's-her-face in."

Evie raises a brow. "You don't even know her name and you slept with her?"

Tony shrugs. "I'm sure she told me at sometime or another, I just didn't bother to remember."

"Wow."

Tony smiles impishly. "I'm yours to handle now, my dear." He winks and leaves the room.

Yes; everything will be all right. All is falling into place. He has Evie back, and she is his girlfriend—his first serious relationship, and he doesn't plan on losing her again any time soon. Once they get back from Afghanistan, he'll call Larry and that uncle of his, and then he'll take Evie out on a real date and show her what it will be like to be Tony Stark's girlfriend.


	14. State of Euphoria

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © F0REVERM0RE _  
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

**Chapter Fourteen:**  
State of Euphoria

* * *

Evelyn stands underneath the shower head, letting the warm water run down her entire body. She stares down at her hands, watching the blood slide clean off her skin and down the drain. The scratches on her hip have completely scabbed over, and she now feels nothing but a numbing sensation.

Tilting her head up so that water sprays across her face, Evelyn closes her eyes and lets the water also wash away her worries. _Everything is going to be fine,_ she tells herself, trying to calm her nerves._ Tony and I will find a way for me to be normal again._

A warm sensation spreads through Evelyn's chest as she thinks about Tony. A wide yet bashful smile stretches across her face, and she bites her bottom lip.

_I have a boyfriend,_ she sings in her head. She has to refrain herself from breaking out in a happy dance in the shower; she might slip, fall and break something.

The darkness and heavy set feeling that has seem to overtaken Evelyn's body, making her feel sluggish, oppressed and utterly exhausted the past few days dissipates, and it is replaced with a light and tingling sensation that makes her feel on top of the world and ready to take on anything it throws at her.

Who will have ever thought that she, Evelyn Marie Addams, can ever snag a guy like Tony? No one, that's who. Even Evelyn is having a hard time believing that Tony is her boyfriend now. It sounds so trivial: boyfriend. They've been through so much together in the little over a week they've known each other, that a couple goes through in an entire life time. So, yes, boyfriend sounds weird when thinking about Tony. He's...more than that to her.

Hopefully all the drama and weird supernatural events will come to a stop once she gets a hold of Larry's uncle. She doesn't want hers and Tony's entire relationship to be filled with intense incidences that will eventually cause for Tony to leave her one day because it is all too much for him to handle.

Evelyn wants her old life back. She wishes that she never got curious to know more about her past and read her mother's stupid journal. But, then again, if she had never looked into her past, will things have ended up the same with Tony? Will they have ever gotten together?

With a heavy sigh, Evelyn turns off the shower head and reaches for a towel to dry herself off. She really needs to stop reading too hard into things, it is how she ended up finding out that her mother is a liar and a cheat, and that she is possessed by some demon named Drusilla; plus she is giving herself a headache.

Changing into a simple black waist skirt and a white short-sleeved frilly shirt, since she doesn't know how to dress, casual or formal, Evelyn chose to wear something in between; something not to formal, yet not all that casual either.

She brushes and ties her hair back into a bun, letting only her bangs hang free but swept to the side, and then clasps on her swan necklace.

Emerging from Tony's bathroom and stepping into his room, Evelyn stops short when she is startled by Pepper's presence already in the room. She can easily say that she is intimidated by the woman standing in front of her; she just has this air about her that demands the utmost respect. Her chin is held high and her sharp and intelligent eyes are fully focused on Evelyn, which causes for Evelyn to squirm. It is like Pepper is giving off a vibe that says, "I'm better than you, and you know it." And Evelyn isn't about to argue.

"Uh... Hi?" Evelyn meekly waves towards the redhead.

A polite smile forms on the redhead's lips. "You must be Evelyn. My name is Virginia, but you may call me Pepper."

"Evie," Evelyn responds in kind.

Pepper steps forth and extends a clipboard towards Evelyn. "I have a few papers for you to sign."

"Are these those confidentiality documents Tony told me about?" asks Evelyn, taking the pen Pepper offers. And when the redhead nods, Evelyn signs her signature without much thought. She is willing to do whatever Tony asks of her; he's done so much for her.

"You know he loves you, right?"

Evelyn goes rigid. She clenches the pen in her hand and blinks. Her gaze veers up towards Pepper, wide in astonishment. "W-what?" she stammers. How can she just blurt out something like that? She means... Love? Tony; her?

"You mean he hasn't told you?" Pepper questions, jaw slack. Evelyn shakes her head. "Oh God... I didn't... I thought...I thought he told you." Again, Evelyn shakes her head; she is speechless.

Pepper clamps her mouth shut, and her lips press together, forming a thin line. She peers into Evelyn's eyes with such intensity that Evelyn is, again, scared of the woman.

"Don't hurt him," she says. And Evelyn's heart is both warmed and heartbroken. She now knows that Pepper has feelings towards Tony, just like he once had for her. Wait? Does he still have feelings for Pepper? Because those feelings just don't go away. What if he finds out that Pepper feels the same for him? Will he leave Evelyn for her?

_She is better for him,_ a voice echoes cruelly from the back of her mind; the voice of Drusilla. Evelyn tries to push the demon back into the darkest parts of her mind, but the voice is getting stronger with Evelyn's insecurities. S_he is prettier, she is smarter, and she knows him better than you do._

_And she is sane,_ Evelyn adds for herself, breaking Pepper's gaze.

"He cares about you, too, you know," she finds herself saying. Her heart feels heavy, but deep down she knows that she is doing the right thing. Pepper is a better match for Tony than she is. It is better to get them to admit their feelings now before she gets in too deep. "He told me." Evelyn frowns, looking back into Pepper's eyes. "You should tell him how you feel."

Shock is visibly clear on the redhead's face, and she gapes at Evelyn with an open mouth. Evelyn suspects that she is surprised by the news and is about to run to Tony and confess her undying love, thus having them live happily ever after, but what she says in return shocks Evelyn.

"I know."

Evelyn's brow furrows. "You know?"

Pepper nods. "But that was before he met you. I had my chance, and I didn't acknowledge it."

She smiles sadly. "Were you really going to let me and Tony be together, even if that meant you can't have him?" she asks. Evelyn nods.

Pepper humorlessly chuckles and nods. "I think I see what he sees in you." She then shakes her head. "Don't let him slip through your fingers like I did, Evie," she says solemnly. "He may seem tough on the outside, but inside he is just like everyone else. Even he is capable of having a broken heart. And I saw that when you left him. He was devastated. Don't do that to him again."

"I won't," Evelyn promises.

"Because if you do; I know people." Evelyn's eyes widen at Pepper's warning.

Pepper smiles, taking the clipboard. "I've got all that I need. You are now free to go with Tony to Afghanistan." She outstretches her hand. Evelyn hesitantly accepts the hand shake. "Congratulations, Evie. You may very well be on your way to being Tony's first adult relationship. And I feel that I must warn you, though, that he will _definitely_ be making a few mistakes. The thing with Christine this morning would be one of them."

Evelyn nods as she takes in all the information Pepper is giving her about her boss. "So her name is Christine?" she questions, and Pepper nods. "Ah, he told me that he didn't bother to remember her name."

Pepper raises a brow. "Does Tony tell you a lot of things like that?"

"All the time," Evelyn beams. "And he told me that as his girlfriend, he's mine to deal with now."

"Wait... You and he are already...?"

Evelyn nods. "He asked me when I was half-unconscious in the guest room," she says, pointing over her shoulder with her thumb. "Not exactly how he pictured it, but eh," she shrugs, "we're both content with it."

Pepper continues to stare at Evelyn for a few moments, and then she just begins laughing. Evelyn blinks, confused. What did she say that is so funny?

Finally, Pepper regains her composer, wiping away the laughing tears that have formed underneath her eyes. "For some reason, I can easily imagine that being exactly how Tony's first serious relationship would begin."

Evelyn's head lightly tilts to the side. "Really?" she asks, and Pepper nods.

"It's not so farfetched to me," she shrugs.

"Hopefully you can have more influence over him and help me get him to do what he needs to do," says Pepper, changing the subject. "I know he's already late for his flight, but can you please help me get him out of here and on it in the next half an hour? Are you packed?" Evelyn nods. "Good; I'll take your bag down to Happy and you can go and get Tony. Do whatever is necessary to get him out of that garage and into one of his many and ridiculous cars."

Evelyn mock salutes. "Ey, ey, el cap-ee-ton."

Pepper raises a brow. "You know, he did almost the exact same thing to me just before he left," she remarks. It appears that she mulls over Evelyn's action for a few moments before she snaps out of her thoughts. "Where is your bag?" Evelyn points to her smallest suitcase. "Right." Pepper grabs the handle and then looks to Evelyn. "Let me direct you to the garage and then we can get the two of you to Afghanistan. Follow me."

Evelyn is at Pepper's heels when the P.A. guides her out of Tony's room and down a narrow hall which leads to a flight of cream colored steps. Remembering that she has never been inside of Tony's house before, Evelyn tries to take in as much of its beauty as possible before she goes down to the garage, which she has been in before. His house is so modern and elegant. Cream colored walls to match the steps, curved ceilings, hardwood floors, plush carpeting in selected areas, and the floor to ceiling glass walls facing the cliff edge gives you a breathtaking view of the ocean. And...

"Is that a built in waterfall?" Evelyn gawks upon entering the living room. She is blatantly staring at the half-circle glass that stands in front the spiral staircase she just came down from. Water streams down the glass and into a small slit in the ground; and there isn't a wet spot to be seen. "So cool," she murmurs under her breath.

"You can continue down the steps and into the garage," Pepper says; amusement is clear in her tone. Evelyn absentmindedly nods; she is in sheer awe by the utter beauty of Tony's house. And she thought that his penthouse back in New York is fancy.

She steps down the stairs, but her head is twisting so that she is still gawking at the beautiful indoor waterfall. Unfortunately, the waterfall is later out of sight and is replaced with more floor to ceiling glass walls, giving the view of a small living area. Standing in front of the clear door, Evelyn's eyes briefly drift down to the keypad bolted to the door frame before she knocks. Her head cranes in odd angles in an attempt to catch a glimpse of Tony. She knocks again.

"Tony?" she calls out his name, hoping to get his attention. She succeeds.

Tony jogs into view and he opens the door to let her in.

"Pepper said that it's time for you and I to get into one of your many and ridiculous cars and go," she informs, almost repeating Pepper verbatim.

Tony cocks a brow. "Ridiculous? She'll see how ridiculous they are when her car brakes down again and she needs to borrow one," he mutters, pouting childishly.

Evelyn chuckles as she steps into the garage. She halts when she sees her mother's car at the center of the pathway between the two rows of Tony's cars; the hood is propped open and the engine is running.

"What are you doing with my mom's car?" she asks.

"Uh..." Tony rubs the back of his neck, obviously bating for time to come up with an answer. "I just... It... Aw, come on, Evie, it was calling to me! Just look at it!"

Evelyn stares at the car, but sees nothing out of the ordinary and worth getting excited over. "I don't see anything," she utters bluntly. "Is there a dint or something?"

"No; that's the thing." Tony dashes over to the car, running a hand over its surface like it is the most precious and delicate item in the world. "It is in perfect condition. The motor can use a bit of a cleaning, but everything is in working order."

"S_oo_," Evelyn prolongs. "Do you wanna drive it to the airport?" The expression that overtakes Tony's face is comical; he looks like a child on Christmas morning.

He can't close the hood fast enough.

"Don't just stand there, Evie, we got a plane to catch." He jumps into the driver's seat, staring at Evelyn as if she is the one holding them up from leaving.

Shrugging, Evelyn lets him cast blame on her and jogs over to the passenger's side. "What about our bags, though? Pepper said that she was giving mine to Happy. Are you going to tell him that you want to drive there instead?"

"Nah; he'll figure it out once we speed past him in this baby." Tony caresses the steering wheel with a look in his eye that Evelyn has seen before; it is the look he gives her before he is about to rip off her clothes.

"But it only goes as high as sixty," Evelyn comments, pointing to the speedometer.

Tony grins at her sheepishly. "I may have modified a few things while you were in the shower."

"You did that in so little time?" Evelyn gawks.

"You do know who you're talking to, right?" he retorts.

"So just how fast did you make it?"

A mischievous grin spreads across Tony's face, and his eyes twinkle with deviousness. "We're about to find out." He shifts the gear into drive and, with a lead foot, steps down on the gas pedal. Evelyn squeaks in surprise and grips the sides of her seat.

"Woo-hoo!" Tony hollers out.

He speeds out of the curved driveway of the garage. The wind whips through Evelyn's hair, and luckily it is pulled back in a bun because just with her bangs slapping her face, it stings. She silently gasps when she turns her head and sees the view of the city that the cliff edge overlooks from the garage's side. _Wow,_ she mouths. It is beautiful.

The curved driveway leads up to the front of the house, which Tony squeals to a stop in front of, resulting in a startled Happy. Evelyn catches her breath and hastily buckles on her seat belt.

"See if you can keep up," is all Tony stops to say. He picks up speed again, but this time Evelyn is prepared for his rather reckless driving.

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

Evelyn laughs joyfully when Tony sharply turns into the runway of the airport. She slides across her seat, and her hip bumps against the door frame. Driving with Tony is like riding a roller coaster: fun yet dangerous at the same time; a real adrenaline pumper.

Tony expertly steps on the breaks, and the car skids to a stop in front of the familiar private jet of his. Happy pulls up along side of them soon after.

Evelyn continues to laugh, brushing back some of her hair that has come undone from its bun. "We should totally do that again soon! Mom never let us go that fast before in this car. Actually, she never really let any of us drive it, really."

"Oh, I plan on taking this baby out for another spin; really test her out," Tony eagerly agrees.

Evelyn gets out of the car and meets up with Tony at the hood. "Who is going to drive it back?" she asks.

"Happy will; won't you Happy?" Tony tosses the key over to the impeccably dressed man. Evelyn briefly wonders if Happy wears anything besides a suit; or does he only wear them whenever he is around Tony?

"Be happy to, sir. She's a beaut."

"Careful, though, it's not my car."

"Don't worry, she's in good hands."

"Why do men always refer to cars as a she?" Evelyn questions Tony.

"Because if we could, Evie, we would marry your car," he replies, stepping up the stairs leading to into the plane. "They are much easier to handle than real women." Evelyn is close behind, not knowing whether she should be offended by his explanation.

She doesn't notice that there is a man waiting at the top steps until he speaks. "What's wrong with you?" he directs to Tony.

"What?" Tony replies with utter innocence.

"Three hours. For three hours you got me standing here," replies the man, annoyance laced in his tone.

He is taller than Evelyn, and is in a crisp military uniform that makes his chest and shoulders seem broad. Sunglasses are perched on the bridge of his nose, and he appears nonchalant, yet his jaw is visibly clenched in irritation. This is the kind of man who knows Tony's antics well.

"Waiting on you now. Let's go. Come on. Wheels up! Rock and roll!" Tony maneuvers around the man, and Evelyn is about to follow, but she is stopped by said man when he steps in front of her, blocking the entrance into the plane.

"Who's this? Why is she here?"

"Oh, that's Evie. She's okay, she's with me," Tony says lightly.

"Tony, this isn't another simple presentation in front of your board; this is in front of the Afghanistan army. You can't just bring along anyone you want. You'll have to impress her with your sparkling personality another time." He turns to face Evelyn and says in the most polite way possible, "I'm sorry, sweetie, I'm sure you were looking forward to riding on a private plane with Tony Stark, but he has to play adult for a couple of days. I'll make sure that he'll call you when we get back from a very important meeting."

Evelyn parts her lips to respond, but she is interrupted by Tony. "I said she's cool, Rhodey. I had her sign an NDA contract."

Rhodey turns to look at Tony. "You had her sign an NDA contract? I've never heard of you doing that before. Are you really that desperate to get in her drawers? No offense," he quickly mutters to Evelyn.

"Are you putting up a fight against his charm, hun?" Rhodey asks Evelyn. "Is that why you're overdoing it?" he directs over his shoulder, at Tony.

"If it is too much trouble, I can just stay behind," says Evelyn.

"No." Tony points a finger at Evelyn, as if reprimanding her. "You. In the plane. Now," he commands. Evelyn nods and darts past Rhodey and into the plane.

"Wait! What? She just can't... Tony!"

"She's my girlfriend, Rhodey," Tony deadpans. Well, that shut Rhodey up.

"Did... Did I just hear you right?" Rhodey appears utterly flabbergasted. He enters the plane and the hatch is shut and sealed behind him. "Or did I just have a small stroke and lost my hearing?"

"Nope; you heard me right." Tony grins pompously and sits at the edge of Evelyn's seat that she sat on and drapes an arm over the back. "Rhodey, meet Evelyn. Evie, meet Colonel James Rhodes," Tony introduces.

Evelyn responds with a wave of her fingers and a, "Hello."

Rhodey staggers over to the seat across from Evelyn and Tony, and plops down with a heavy sigh. "I can't believe it," he mumbles more to himself than to Tony or Evelyn.

"Yeah, well, neither can anybody else," Tony mutters. He gently nudges Evelyn's side. "Scooch over." Evelyn moves over enough for Tony to sit comfortably next to her; his arm does not leave her shoulders.

"What do you mean?" asks Rhodey.

Tony raises a brow. "You haven't been keeping up with the news?"

"You mean that bull about you creating bio-weapon?" asks Rhodey. Tony nods.

"It seems that me being seen with the same woman on more than one occasion has ulterior motives other than just casual dating." Tony shrugs. "I mean, is it really that impossible to see me having a committed relationship?"

"Yes." Evelyn finds herself saying simultaneously with Rhodey.

"Really, Evie? Really?" Tony looks over at Evelyn.

She shrugs. "With all the stories you've told me about the women you've been with in the past, I would be skeptical too if I were a reporter. I'm not the usual type you go after."

"How so?" asks Tony.

"For one, my boobs are real," says Evelyn, grabbing her chest and squeezing her own breast. Rhodey chokes on air, while Tony just stares down at Evelyn's hands squeezing her chest. "Second: this is my natural hair color," she adds, pointing to her hair. "Third: I don't have legs that go up to my armpits; and fourth: I actually like to eat food."

Rhodey chuckles. "I think I like her already." Evelyn beams at him in return.

"That makes two of us, Rhodster," Tony agrees, his gaze does not break away from Evelyn.

"Regardless whether I think she's okay, or that she is your girlfriend, you can't just make your own rules and break others, Tony," says Rhodey. However, Tony simply ignores him and brushes off his remark.

"Are you hungry?" he asks Evelyn.

"I can eat." She nods.

"Hey," Tony calls for one of the passing stewardesses. "Hey, what's on the menu?"

"Good morning, Mr. Stark," greets the stewardess. "You have a choice between fresh sashimi, or a club sandwich."

"I can go for some sashimi, can you go for some sashimi?" Tony asks Evelyn. She perks in her seat and nods. "We'll have a round of that."

The stewardess nods and then leaves.

"Why do I even bother to try and have an adult conversation with you? You are incapable of paying attention to anything for longer than five minutes," says Rhodey.

"Well, that's not true," replies Tony. "I can go five minutes if I really wanted to," he jests. Rhodey throws his head back in exasperation and groans.

"Aw, Come on, sour patch. Don't be mad."

"I told you, I'm not mad. I'm indifferent, okay?"

"Will it make you feel better if I told you that I'm sorry?" asks Tony.

"No; no it will not make me feel better because you don't respect yourself, so I know you don't respect me."

"I respect you," Tony inputs.

Evelyn watches the interaction between Rhodey and Tony with a mixture of awe and fascination. They are bickering like an old married couple, and it is very amusing to watch.

"Hot towel?" a stewardess offers.

"Uh...sure." Evelyn takes the warm and damp towel in her hands and begins wiping her palms and in between her fingers.

When the stewardess with the hot towels leaves, another comes forth with three plates and utensils. She neatly places them in front of Evelyn, Tony, and Rhodey before retreating and then, again, returning with a large plate of sashimi. Evelyn eyes the food with hunger, and she licks her lips. She can't remember the last time she ate; the day she spent in the hotel is a blur filled with daze and absent mindedness.

Grabbing a fork, Evelyn stabs into one of the raw fish slices and then stuffs it into her mouth.

"What are you doing?"

"Hm?" She looks at Tony, still chewing.

"You don't eat sashimi with a fork. You use," Tony snaps the ends of two wooden sticks together, "chopsticks."

"Why, when you can use a fork?" To add emphases to her point, she easily stabs another piece of raw fish and sticks it into her mouth. "See?" Her voice comes out muffled as she chews.

"You don't know how to use chopsticks, do you?" he asks, and Evelyn shakes her head no.

"Mot even a wittle," she says, still chewing. Tony laughs.

"Hot sake?" a stewardess asks, extending out a small bottle.

"Yes, three, please," says Tony.

"No. I'm not drinking. I don't want any," Rhodey objects.

"Come on, Rhodey, lighten up," Tony tries to coax. "Here," he then says to Evelyn, handing her a small round cup filled with a clear liquid.

"We're not drinking, we're working," Rhodey stubbornly argues.

"Just one drink. What can one drink do to you?" Tony extends a cup to his friend sitting across from him.

"If I drink it, will you stop pestering me to drink some more?" asks Rhodey.

"Yeah, sure." Tony shrugs.

Rhodey takes the small cup.

"Ready?" Tony asks. "One...two...three." On the third count, Evelyn, Tony, and Rhodey simultaneously tip back the cup. The clear liquid burns down Evelyn's throat, but she welcomes the taste; it is a good blend with the two pieces of sashimi she already ate.

Tony refills all three cups, and passes them around. Rhodey refuses his.

"I said only one," he replies firmly.

"Rhodey, look at this cup." Tony holds the tiny cup in the military man's view. "It barely holds a sip. Come on, don't be a wimp. This is your first time meeting, Evie; don't you want to make a good impression?" Evelyn furrows her brow at Tony. Why does he have to bring her into this? She's fine with Rhodey not drinking. It's not his fault that he wants to be at the top of his game for the important presentation.

Oddly, despite his adamant protests, Rhodey readily takes the second serving without another complaint.

"You sure know you way around persuasion," Evelyn comments, making sure that only Tony can hear her.

Tony drinks his second cup. "Nah; Rhodey is just easy prey." He winks. Evelyn smiles in return, finishing off her cup as well.

"Now, I think it's time for me to teach you how to use some chopsticks." Tony scoots closer toward Evelyn and wraps his arms around her waist. He lifts her and settles her snugly between his legs. "All right, you hold them like...this," he speaks softly in her ear, positioning two wooden sticks in her right hand.

At the feel of his warm breath against the sensitive skin of her neck, Evelyn bites her bottom lip. She can definitely get used to this.

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

Concentrating hard, well, as hard as one can get with after five shots of sake and two glasses of champagne, Evelyn pinches together a piece of sashimi with her chopsticks and attempts to bring the delicious and slimy food to her mouth. Although, her concentration is wavering when large and warm hands run along both her inner and outer thighs, and a pair of lips plant butterfly kisses along her neck.

Evelyn tries to swat Tony away from her. "Stop it, I almost got it," she mutters. Her tip of her tongue is sticking out of her mouth as she slowly brings the sashimi closer and closer.

"You know, I've never had a woman tell me that before."

Successfully using the chopsticks, Evelyn throws her hands up in the air in achievement, and does a little happy dance in Tony's lap. "Tell you what?" she asks, turning her head to the side to face him.

Tony chuckles and shakes his head. "Nothing."

Evelyn grabs another piece of sashimi and holds it out to him. "Sashimi?" Tony opens his mouth and she slides the piece of fish right in.

"Are you two listening to me?" Rhodey drunkenly hiccups. He takes another gulp from the sake bottle, which he confiscated for himself. Evelyn is surprised that he hasn't finished it yet, he has been drinking it like a fish in water.

Evelyn goes rigid, as does Tony from beneath her. She has tuned out Rhodey and his drunken rants; at first, she was listening intently, but when she discovered that he was just basically repeating the same thing over and over again but with different words, she focused more on Tony and his sneaky hands and trying to use chopsticks while under his influence (it was difficult.)

"Of course we are, James," Evelyn replies with a weak smile.

"Then what was I talking about?" he responds with an accusing glare.

"Uh..." Evelyn looks to Tony for help, but he only smirks in return.

"You're the one who said you were listening," he says. Evelyn pouts.

She turns back to Rhodey, and sputters out, "You were, um, talking about how it is in the, uh, military," she snorts, adding an "of course" as if it is the most obvious answer in the world.

Rhodey continues to stare at Evelyn with scrutiny, and then he continues, "So as I was saying..." Evelyn breaths a sigh of relief and lets her shoulders go lax.

Tony chuckles. "Lucky guess."

"Does he always get like this when he gets drunk?" she asks. Her lips barely move so that it appears she is listening to Rhodey.

Tony nods. "He seriously needs to get himself a girlfriend," he mutters. "Or get laid, whichever comes first." Evelyn purses her lips and shakes her head.

"I think I have an idea," he whispers. "Want to see something cool?"

Evelyn perks. "Oh, yes, yes. What is it?"

"I was going to show you when we left Vegas after the awards, but then..."

"Sorry," Evelyn sincerely apologizes. Her thoughts wonder back to Pepper and what she said, _"...even he is capable of having a broken heart. And I saw that when you left him. He was devastated. Don't do that to him again."_

Evelyn can't even imagine a devastated Tony. He has been as solid as a rock when they were together; the confident and supportive one. And she doesn't want to ever see him devastated if she can help avoid it.

Tony nuzzles his nose in the space between Evelyn's neck and shoulder. "You're with me now," he murmurs. Evelyn smiles warmly.

"Come on; get up." Tony pats Evelyn's side. Evelyn rises off of Tony's lap and stands off to the side. He then grabs the neck of the champagne bottle along with his half filled glass after passing Evelyn her own.

"Rhodey," he calls over to his friend who is slumped over the table, hugging the sake bottle to his face like a toddler would a teddy bear. "Wake up, buddy, I got a present for you." Tony clamps a hand on Rhodey's back, rousing the man from his drunken haze.

"Where we goin'?" Rhodey mumbles.

"It's a surprise," says Tony.

Rhodey simply nods and sluggishly gets off of his seat. He throws an arm around Tony's shoulder and hugs him close. "You know, you are a good man, Tony Stark; one of my most cherished friends, even though you can be a big pain in my ass."

Evelyn snickers at Rhodey's blunt honestly. Tony raises a brow in her direction, his facial expression reading: Help me! However, Evelyn simply shrugs in response. _You're on your own, buster._

Tony leads a still rambling Rhodey over to the couch at the back end of the plane, and they sit down; Rhodey still has a strong hold on Tony, and he doesn't look like he wants to let go any time soon. It seems that the only way you can get Tony Stark to pay attention to you, is by grabbing him and forcing him to listen.

Evelyn begins to feel bad, however, when she notices that Tony keeps sending looks in her way, begging her to free him from his hostage situation. So she turns to one of the stewardesses. "Excuse me, do you know if this plane has something to play music?" she asks.

The stewardess nods and turns away from Evelyn. She later comes back with a thin rectangular piece of glass with black edging.

"Great, another invisible remote that will take me forever to figure out," Evelyn mutters. She fiddles with the remote. "Which way is up?" she thinks out loud to herself, and when the stewardess positions the remote correctly in her hands, her face flushes in embarrassment. "Thank you," she mumbles.

"If you need any more assistance, please call." To Evelyn, the stewardess seems amused by the fact that Evelyn doesn't know how to use the transparent remote.

Evelyn is left standing on her own at the center of the plane. She continues to stare quizzically at the complicated piece of technology in her hands. Downing the rest of her champagne glass, she hopes that the alcohol will help her figure out how to use the remote faster.

_Maybe it's like the one at the penthouse,_ she hopes. She taps the transparent glass, and it lights up with blue lettering and pictures. "Oh thank God," she heavily exhales in relief. It is like the remote at the penthouse; luckily she already knows how to get to the music settings and controls.

A few taps later, Evelyn is scrolling through a selection of music to chose from. But then she notices a new section that isn't shared with the remote back at the penthouse. "Ooh, what does this button do?" Pressing the foreign button, a small circular section in the ceiling of the plane splits open and down drops a multicolor disco ball.

Evelyn peers up at the ball, oohing and awing at the different colors strobing through the plane. The corner of her mouth lifts and her eyes glimmer with amazement. "...Cool..."

"I'll take that." Tony comes up from beside Evelyn and snatches the transparent remote from her hands. He, unlike Evelyn, expertly scrolls through the remote, and soon music fills the plane along with the music video appearing on the television screen.

"How did you get free from Rhodey?" she asks.

"Flashing lights fascinate him whenever he's had a few too many for some reason," he answers. "And now to add one more thing," he says, pressing a few more buttons.

A silver pole emerges from the floor, reaching and attaching to the top of the plane. "Ladies." Tony sweeps his arm in the general direction of the pole and an inebriated Rhodey. And when the flight attendants begin unbuttoning their blouses and let lose their hair, Evelyn's jaw slacks and her eyes widen.

"That should keep him busy." Tony grins, carelessly tossing the remote to the side and then slyly snaking his arms around Evelyn's waist, pulling her close to him.

"What other things do you have them do for you?" Evelyn questions suspiciously, eying Tony with a raised brow. She can feel his body tense.

"Uh..." he fumbles for an explanation. "...Sorry?"

She chuckles. "It's fine, as long as you don't do it again while you have me."

The smile is back on Tony's face. He leans in close, interlocking his fingers at the small of her back. "Deal."

It feels good to not have to hide her feelings for Tony anymore. Now she can show them whenever she wants; at that thought, Evelyn stands on the tips of her toes and presses her lips against his. Tony hums against her lips, and then withdrawals.

"Hey, yeah, Rhodey; Evie and I are going to step away for a bit. You going to be okay on your own?" Tony and Evelyn look over towards Rhodey, only to see him completely immersed in a conversation about life in the military for him with the three flight attendants. Tony looks back at Evelyn. "Yeah, he's good."

With that said, he takes hold of her hand and leads her through a door next to the couch Rhodey and the three flight attendants are laying on. Inside is a private room with a cot-like bed bolted to both the wall and ground, and a transparent glass door that blurs the view of a small shower room. On the wall opposite the bed hangs a black clothing bag; below the bag are Evelyn and Tony's luggage.

Evelyn can still feel the base of the music still playing outside of the room from through the floor and walls; it's like a continuous hum traveling through her bloodstream.

Tony presses up against Evelyn's back. His left arm wraps around her waist, pulling her flush against him, while his right hand ghosts up her side and to her hair which is still pulled back into a bun. His fingers expertly pull at the hair tie and lets her thick locks fall free. Evelyn quivers in his hold by his tentative touches and warm breath calmly breathing against her flushed skin.

Tony chuckles against her neck. "I think I can get used to this," he murmurs huskily, tone thick with arousal.

Evelyn is about to agree, but she squeaks in surprise as she is pushed forward and onto the bed.


	15. Falling Off Cloud Nine

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © F0REVERM0RE _  
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

**Chapter Fifteen:**  
Falling Off Cloud Nine

* * *

"Welcome to the Mile High Club," Tony greets after Evelyn stirs from her slumber.

"Up top." Evelyn holds up a palm. Tony chuckles, but nonetheless complies with the high five.

Evelyn lies on top of Tony; the cot in the room is too small for the both of them to lie side by side. She turns her head and props her chin up on top of her hands so that she is face to face with Tony.

"Why do they call it the Mile High Club? Aren't we more than a mile high? Who came up with that name?" she ponders out loud. Tony shrugs from underneath her.

"Beats me. But whoever the guy was, he's a genius."

"How do you know it's a man? Why can't a woman have invented sex on a plane?"

A perverted smile claims Tony's lips. "Then I would have loved to meet her."

There is a soft knock on the door, and without waiting for a welcoming call, one of the stewardesses enters and says, "We are nearing the landing sight, Mr. Stark. One hour." At the sudden interruption, Evelyn yelps and falls off of the cot when she tries to cover herself with the single bed sheet.

"Thank you, Trixie. We'll be ready before we land," Tony casually replies, as if lying naked on the cot for the stewardess to see is an everyday occurrence.

Rolling over so that he is peering down at Evelyn on the floor, he asks with a quirked brow, "You okay?"

"Do none of your employees have a sense of privacy?" she asks after releasing a huff of air. She crosses her arms over her chest and makes no motion to get up.

"They're usually the ones in here with me, remember? Everyone on board this plane has seen each other naked; excluding you, of course."

Evelyn's jaw drops and she sharply sits up. Her head turns so fast towards Tony that she can have sworn that she has given herself whiplash. "You've seen James naked?" she gapes in surprise.

"What? No!"

"Well you're the one who said..."

"I didn't mean it that way," he groans, throwing himself back on the cot. "Gross, Evie, just gross. Now my brain is trying to picture how Rhodey looks naked." Evelyn snickers; she does know what he meant to say.

"Is there anyone working under you that you have not seen naked?" she asks out of curiosity. She twists her body so that her head is propped up on top her palms on the edge of the cot, starting at Tony's lying form.

If he slept with all three flight attendants, that is quite a conquest. He can't have possibly slept with that many women he has told her about, can he? Sometimes men exaggerate about how many women they've bedded, right?

"There's Pepper," he responds.

"Okay; anyone that you did not _want_ to see naked then," she rewords. He stays silent.

"Am I in trouble?" he mumbles almost frightfully. The way he is gazing at her with a childlike wariness causes Evelyn to smile.

"Nah; I've already been warned that you will make a few mistakes," she chirps.

He raises a brow. "You've been warned?" She nods. "By whom exactly?"

"...Pepper," she mutters admittedly.

"Ah; cause she would know," he replies sarcastically. "What else did she tell you? That after I'm done with a woman that I brought home, I would be long gone before they wake up and have her kick them out for me just so I won't face them and their disappointment the next morning?" Evelyn, to say the least, is shocked. Did he actually do that to women?

"Nothing bad, Tony. Honest." She is worried that she may have crossed a line. Is talking about Pepper playing a hand in their relationship a sensitive topic?

"If it's any consolation, I'm sure that I will make mistakes of my own," she adds, hoping to smooth over their conversation and convert it back to a comfortable one. "I'm new to this, too."

He places his hands at the back of his head and heavily exhales, his chest visibly moving up and down, but he remains quiet. Evelyn frowns.

Her eyes drift down his bare chest and then back up to his face. He must be so comfortable in his skin in order for him to not even try to cover up. Evelyn wishes that she can say the same. Like mostly all women, she hates her body and wishes that it looks better; especially now that she is dating Tony, one of the most sought after men in the world. Frankly, she so intimidated by his obvious superiority in sexual acts (while she only slept with one man; how pathetic is that?), that she is scared that he might think that she is not good enough and will leave her.

"Tony?"

"Hm?" he hums.

"Am I...good at it?" she asks timidly. His gaze sharply turns to look at her. "At pleasing you, I mean?" she adds, forcing herself to look him in the eye.

Tony rolls onto his side. "Why do you ask?"

"You've been with so many women, while I've only been with..."

"Hey, hey," he hushes. "Let's not think about that," he says. "I know that I've...slept around. But I don't want you to ever compare yourself with those women, again, okay? They're just skanks that were after my money, easily fell for a few kind words that they most likely knew were just lies, and actually thought that in wearing tight clothes, tons of make-up and having large breasts would make me want them as more than just a one night stand. They're idiots; you're not."

"So I'm adequate?" Evelyn continues to press.

Leaning forward, Tony presses his mouth against hers in a chaste kiss. "You're more than adequate."

Glancing down at his watch, he gets up and says, "We now only have half an hour to get ready before we have to head out to our seats."

"Do you want to use the shower first?" asks Evelyn.

"We can share," he inputs with a suggestive smile.

"Tony, that shower looks like it can barely fit one person in, let alone two."

He shrugs. "We can make it work. We did with the bed."

"You're going to keep insisting we share a shower, aren't you?"

"You're bound to cave in sooner or later."

Evelyn briefly mulls over the offer of taking a shower with Tony. If asked at a different time, say with a bigger, normal-sized, shower, she will have probably accepted without hesitation, but the shower in the plane is tall and narrow. She shrugs in defeat. "All right, lets do it."

Tony grins. "Best. Girlfriend. Ever."

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"Does this look professional enough?" Evelyn asks, slowly twirling around in a circle for Tony to see. She is dressed in a tight, short-sleeved gray dress with a high collar that reaches down to her knees (courtesy of Tony and their shopping spree when they first met.) Her hair is pulled back in a low updo bun, and she is wearing black pumps.

"You look great," Tony replies, sliding on the jacket to his suit.

"You're not even looking," Evelyn scowls, placing her hands on her hips.

Tony looks up from his task of fixing his sleeves, and he repeats, "You look great."

"Are you sure? I want to make a good impression for you."

"Evie, we're going to a military base in Afghanistan. If you went wearing that bed sheet, you still will look better than anyone else there."

Evelyn smiles bashfully and peers down at her feet, kicking at imaginary dust on the floor. "Aw, you're just saying that."

"Yup." Evelyn gawks at Tony's reply and playfully slaps his chest; he chuckles. "Come on; lets go and buckle up for landing. We mustn't keep Rhodey waiting or else he'll get more cranky than he was a few hours ago."

Nodding, Evelyn scrambles to collect some items that she wants to take with her to the base: her glasses case, her contacts, and her passport and ID; all which she stuffs in a small clutch. She doesn't take her cellphone because her phone plan doesn't exactly have coverage in Afghanistan.

Opening the door leading out of the small room, Evelyn absentmindedly steps out, but when she looks up from her clutch that she just closed, she gasps and her hand veers up to her mouth. "Oh dear God."

"Well, at least I can stop wondering," Tony mumbles from behind her. He whistles and utters in a low register, "Good for you Rhodey."

Rhodey is passed out on the couch, half of his body spilling off of the edge; and there is a line of drool escaping from his parted lips. Did Evelyn mention that he is naked? Because he is, and she can't seem to stop looking. That is until a large hand covers her eyes from over her glasses.

"Rhodey, I'm glad that you, for once, let loose and had some fun, but can you please get dressed before you convert my girlfriend."

Evelyn can hear a sharp intake of air, followed by a loud thud and a stream of curses.

"The room is free if you, you know, want some privacy," says Tony, tone thick with amusement. "Maybe a nice cold shower will help you with that hangover."

"I am never going to do this again," Rhodey incoherently rambles.

"You said that the last time," Tony retorts.

"There was a last time?" asks Evelyn.

"Thanks a lot, Tony. Now she probably thinks I'm almost as irresponsible as you," says Rhodey. "I need a nap."

"We're landing in ten minutes," Tony quips. Rhodey groans loudly, and then Evelyn can hear the distinctive sound of a door opening and closing.

"Is it safe?" asks Evelyn, wanting for Tony to give her her sight back. His arm goes slack and Evelyn can see again. "Thanks for smudging up my glasses," she mutters, taking off her eye wear and wiping them clean with her dress.

"It's not my fault you couldn't stop looking." He maneuvers around her so that he is in front of her. "Should I be worried?" he teases.

"We are preparing to land, Mr. Stark," announces a flight attendant. "Please take your seats."

Evelyn has to admit, for women who slept with Tony on numerous occasions, she is impressed and surprised that they sure can act professional and, well, not jealous by the fact that she is his girlfriend.

Sitting down, Evelyn buckles her seat belt. Tony sits across from her and does the same.

"You ever been to the middle east before?" he asks.

"No, but I've been to some parts of Europe, though; for traveling productions I was a part of."

"Well I can guarantee you that Afghanistan is nothing like Europe," he replies. "The base is about half an hour away from the airport, and we have to travel through a small village..." he trails off, as if thinking over what to say next. "There you may see some things that you probably won't like, but just know that there is nothing we can do; for now," he makes sure to add. "They're in a middle of a war, and..."

"That's why you are here," says Evelyn. "You're going to sell them something that they can use to stop this war...right?"

A smile graces Tony's lips. "Exactly," he says, impressed. "Now you're getting it."

"Not really. I just understand why you're doing it, not how it works."

Tony smirks. "You'll get it eventually. I'll teach you."

Evelyn snorts. "You better, or else I will never even be able to work the toilet in your house."

"Nonsense," he utters stoically, "the four digit code to access the bathroom is easy to remember." Evelyn gawks, but then the corners of Tony's lips slowly begin to rise.

"Very funny," she pouts, crossing her arms across her chest. "Make fun of my lack of knowledge about technology why don't you."

He chuckles, withdrawing a pair of sunglasses from the inner breast pocket of his suit's jacket and slides them on.

Rhodey stumbles out from the private room in the back of the plane and takes a seat at the other side of the plane. If Evelyn wasn't a witness to how much he drank a few hours ago and just glanced at him for a split second, he looks neat and impeccable- just like how he first looked when she met him at the top of the plane's steps, except this time he is dressed in the familiar camouflage uniform she has seen numerous soldiers wear, instead of the sharp navy blue suit.

"You okay there, bud?" asks Tony. Evelyn can tell that he is trying to hold back a smile. Rhodey, in response, glares at him with such fire in his eyes that Evelyn shrinks in her seat even though the heated gaze isn't directed at her.

"Mr. Stark." The stewardess Evelyn recognizes as Trixie, the one who walked in on she and Tony, steps up to Tony and leans in close. "General Lincoln is on hold. He says that there has been a change of plans regarding the landing site and will like to speak with you."

Tony nods and presses a finger on his seat's armrest. A panel slides open and a phone is lifted onto the surface.

"Is there anything this plane cannot do?" Evelyn questions out loud. Tony winks at her but doesn't respond.

"General," he answers the phone. "I see... Uh-huh... It's not a problem." He hangs up the phone.

"What did he say?" Rhodey asks, massaging his temples.

"They're making room for us at the military air base."

"Why?"

Tony looks warily at Evelyn, which cases for her to worry. "The airport has received some...threats," he answers. "Nothing to be concerned about though."

Rhodey catches on. "Yeah." He clears his throat and turns his gaze to Evelyn. "You're perfectly safe with us. Just stick close to me while your boy here is making his presentation; kay?" Evelyn nods in agreement.

She isn't frighted about the fact the airport received threats of some kind; is it because they know that Tony is coming? Or is it an everyday occurrence because they are at war? In fact, she is rather intrigued. A part of her wants to see what it is like for people whom have a war at home.

"How much longer till we reach the new landing site?" she asks.

Tony shrugs. "Probably another fifteen minutes."

Unbuckling her seat belt, Evelyn says, "That should be enough time to put in my contacts. I'll be right back."

She heads to the bathroom and removes her contact case from her clutch. She originally wanted to put on her contacts instead of her glasses, but they were already on a time limit when Trixie came into the room and announced their landing. Maybe if Tony hadn't insisted on the shower Evelyn will have had time, but, hey, she's not complaining anymore; it was fun and an interesting experience.

Finally finishing the excruciating task of poking and probing at her eyes in order to make her eye sight better, Evelyn blinks rapidly in order to help her adjust to the contacts quicker. Putting her glasses in their case and back in her clutch, just in case she gets tired of wearing contacts, she leaves the bathroom.

She sees Rhodey and Tony conversing. Well, more like Rhodey drinking a glass of water while Tony continues to tease him about being a wimp because he can't handle his drink.

"Tony, leave James alone. It's not his fault he's a lightweight," Evelyn playfully chides. She sits down and straps herself back into her chair.

Tony bursts out laughing, while the glare that Evelyn was earlier frightened of from Rhodey is now directed at her. She smiles sheepishly, uttering, "Oops. Sorry about that James."

Rhodey scoffs. "At least your apologies are sincere."

"That hurts, Rhodey," Tony says looking completely wounded, as if Rhodey has kicked a defenseless puppy; he places a hand over his heart. However, judging by the twinkle of mischief in his eyes, Evelyn can tell that he is continuing to be playful.

Evelyn looks out of her window when the plane is landing. Like she told Tony, she's never been to a place like Afghanistan before. It is so...sandy. Barren. All except for the small speck of land seen from above; but as the plane gets closer and closer towards the speck of land, she can see towering guarding gates, dozens of cargo planes and fighter jets, warehouse looking buildings, and a few tanks here and there.

"Wow," she finds herself murmuring. Only with Tony will she ever see a place like this.

The plane lands, and the passengers are given the green light to safely leave their seats. Tony fluidly rises to stand, as does Evelyn, but not so much Rhodey; he sluggishly staggers to his feet.

Evelyn becomes worried. She places a hand on his shoulder, and asks, "Are you sure you're all right?"

Rhodey nods. "I'm fine."

"Come on, big boy," Evelyn pats Rhodey's back and gently guides him to the plane's open hatch, "the more you move, the faster that hangover will go away."

Rhodey groans, throwing his head back, and Evelyn silently chuckles. He composes himself before he steps out of the plane with Evelyn close behind. Tony is already on the ground, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with a crowd of soldiers gathered at the base of the stairs. When she reaches the last step, he comes up to her and places his hand on the small of her back. He leads her through the small crowd and to a row of beige Humvees.

Behind the Humvees is a flatbed truck with the biggest missile Evelyn has ever seen in her life.

"What is that?" She can't help but point and ask.

"That is what I am going to present," replies Tony. "It's my latest creation."

"What does it do?"

"You'll just have to wait and see for yourself. We're going to a secure location so I can show her off." He opens the door for her and she climbs in.

"There you go, calling an inanimate object a she," she teases.

Tony shrugs. "Force of habit."

He gets in beside her, but the two of them are not the only ones to get into the vehicle; Rhodey, plus two other soldiers get in with them.

Sitting in between Rhodey and Tony at the back seat of the Humvee, Evelyn stares out of the window as they begin to move. The drive is quiet and the view isn't all that great, but for some reason she cannot tear her gaze away from the scenery. The mountains seem far and small, peeking from behind a vast and seemingly endless barren desert.

Here there is nothing. It is empty. Lifeless.

Tony interlocks his fingers with Evelyn's; her attention is briefly drawn away from the window as she looks at him. He brings her hand up to his mouth and gently kisses her knuckles. Smiling, Evelyn rests her head on his shoulder in content.

The Humvee slows to a halt at a circular clearing void of boulders. Stepping out of the Humvee, Evelyn watches as the flatbed containing Tony's missiles is set up off to the side of the clearing. Other soldiers emerge from the line of Humvees behind and in front of the one Evelyn rode in with Tony and Rhodey; they gather in a group at the far back of the clearing.

"Mr. Stark." One solider comes forth and extends a box filled with eye protectors.

Tony only takes one though, then waves the solider off. He hands the eye protectors to Evelyn, and casually remarks, "Here; mustn't cause any harm to your gigantic eyes."

Evelyn gasps, snatching the eye wear from his outstretched fingers. "I don't have gigantic eyes!" she protests. "They're perfectly normal size for my head," she states loftily. She straps on the eye wear with her chin raised proudly in the air.

"I love your gigantic eyes though," he replies cheekily. "They add a certain...charm."

"Yeah, you better," Evelyn mutters under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest and turning away from him for dramatic effect. Tony chuckles.

"We're ready for you, Mr. Stark."

Tony kisses Evelyn's temple. "You may want to stand behind Rhodey for the kickback," he quickly utters a warning in her ear before they separate.

Evelyn goes to stand next to Rhodey, and Tony stands erect in front of the crowd of military men and women with his hands stuffed casually in his pockets.

"Nice goggles," Rhodey comments from behind closed lips.

"Oh, yeah? Well, nice face," Evelyn lamely retorts, to which Rhodey raises an amused brow in response.

Tony gazes at the missiles positioned next to him, and asks, "Is it better to be feared or respected?" He turns back to the crowd. "I say...is it too much to ask for both?" He shrugs. "With that in mind, I humbly present the crown jewel of Stark Industries' Freedom Line. It's the first missile system to incorporate our proprietary repulsor technology.

"They say the best weapon is one you never have to fire. I respectfully disagree. I prefer the weapon you only have to fire once. That's how Dad did it. That's how America does it. And it's worked out pretty well so far."

Evelyn is in awe. She listens and watches Tony with keen eyes and ears. He is so natural and nonchalant standing next to his towering and equally as dangerous creation, speaking in front of trained military personnel without a care in the world. She will have shit her pants if she were in his position. Dancing on stage and presenting an object for buy are two complete different things; Evelyn doesn't have to speak when she dances.

"Find an excuse to let one of these off the chain, and I personally guarantee you the bad guys won't even want to come out of their caves." Tony flicks his hand in the direction of the missiles, which shifts into motion.

The missiles' head faces towards the direction of the vast and open desert. Evelyn watches with a slacked jaw as the high pitched sound of the missiles powering up pinches at her eardrums; the middle missile ignites at the end, and a long and steady stream of fire burns bright. And much like a bottle rocket, the missile shoots out in the air rapidly, leaving behind a line of gray smoke.

The missile is on a course for the mountain tops seemingly miles away; it breaks apart, and Evelyn wonders if perhaps that specific missile is defective; she silently gasps. However, it isn't the case because the pieces that have broken off of the missile turn out to be smaller missiles, still on a route for the mountains.

"For your consideration, the Jericho." Tony outstretches his arms to his sides.

The dozens upon dozens of smaller missiles rain down the mountain top like luminous shooting stars. When they make contact, there, at first, is a splash of smoke and dirt, but then comes the aftershock, racing towards the clearing and everyone in it at a rapid pace.

Heeding, Tony's warning, Evelyn ducks behind Rhodey's tall and broad form just in time before the kickback reaches her. A large and powerful gust of wind mixed with dirt, dust, and small rocks blasts by. Evelyn has to push against Rhodey's back in order to keep him standing upright.

Peeking over Rhodey's shoulder at the decimated area where the missiles landed, Evelyn murmurs, "Whoa."

"You're telling me," Rhodey responds just as speechless. He removes his sunglasses and rubs his eyes with the sleeve of his uniform.

Evelyn smirks. "How do you like my goggles now?" Her eyes are fully protected; not a speck of dust penetrated through the thick and clear plastic. "That's what you get for trying to act all macho and not wanting to wear proper protection."

"Ha-ha," he sarcastically replies, continuing to rub his eyes. "I'm going to get some water, I'll met you back at the tuck."

"Sir, yes, sir," Evelyn playfully replies. Rhodey shakes his head and walks away.

"So; what did you think?" Tony comes up to her, dusting off his suit.

"It. Was. Awesome." Evelyn giddily giggles just above a whisper; she doesn't want anyone to hear her all excited about witnessing her first missile launch since they probably have witness hundreds.

"I know right," Tony readily agrees. "But that's what you should expect from me, cause, you know, everything I do is awesome."

"Wow," Evelyn pronounces slowly. "Really? You're going to go with that?"

He shrugs a shoulder. "It's the truth. You're lucky; I'm a catch." Leisurely wrapping an arm around her neck, he asks, "Want a drink?"

"Rhodey did mention that there was water," says Evelyn. "Where is the cooler?"

Tony scoffs. "Screw water. This presentation calls for a celebratory drink. Come on, I brought a surprise for everyone."

Evelyn is lead to a large silver container with the Stark logo on the side. Tony presses a small button on the side of the lid, and with a delicate hissing noise, the top lifts; cool white air is released but once clear, two large bottles of champagne and various glasses already filled with amber liquid rises into view.

"I'll be throwing one of these in with every purchase of 500 million or more," says Tony. He gets two glasses and passes one off to Evelyn.

"I'm beginning to think you may have a problem with a certain beverage," Evelyn comments, shaking the glass so that the ice clanks to emphasis her point.

"That's ridiculous. I only drink on special occasions."

"This morning with the sake?"

He scoffs. "You can't have sashimi without sake."

"Okay, then what about the champagne _after_ the sake?"

"Uh... I was celebrating us, you know, starting this thing."

Evelyn raises a brow. "Our relationship is now called a thing?"

"A beautiful thing," he automatically corrects.

Tony squirms underneath the pressure of her interrogation, and Evelyn is having a field day with it. She's only teasing.

"And this?" She, again, shakes the glass.

"This is, uh, to peace."

"To peace?"

"I just sold a highly advanced piece of weaponry to the good guys so that they can stop the bad guys, so, yes, to peace."

"All right then," Evelyn agrees with a smile. She raises the glass. "To peace."

"To peace." Tony gently taps his glass with Evelyn's, and they both drink. He stops after a sip, however, and reaches into his pocket with his free hand; it is his phone.

"Tony," a masculine voice comes from the phone's speakers.

"Obie, what are you doing up?" Tony replies.

Thinking it is a personal call, Evelyn respectfully tunes Tony and his caller out. She places her drink back on the cooler because she isn't in the mood for an alcoholic beverage right now.

"Obie, this is Evie. Evie, say "Hi" to Obie." Tony shoves his phone in her face. On the screen there is a middle-aged man with, oddly, a thick gray beard who is in bed and half dressed judging by his bare chest.

"Hello." Evelyn waves in greeting nonetheless.

"So you're the girl Tony told me about," replies Obie. He clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth; he looks like he isn't exactly happy with Evelyn being with Tony in Afghanistan, just like Rhodey was.

"I hope so," Evelyn quips with a meek smile, hoping to defuse the awkward tension.

"I look forward to meeting you in person," he says, though his tone is flat. "Tell Tony I said goodnight."

The screen goes blank. Tony flips the phone shut and places it back into his pocket.

"Who was that?" Evelyn asks.

"My partner, Obadiah Stane."

A solider opens the Humvee door for Tony and Evelyn; Evelyn slides in first, sitting at the middle because from the other side, a young male soldier already occupies the opposite window seat. Strange; isn't Rhodey suppose to come with them?

"Hey, Tony." Speaking of Rhodey. He comes up to Tony's window.

"I'm sorry, this is the "fun-vee." The "hum-drum-vee" is back there," Tony directs.

Rhodey purses his lips and sighs. "Nice job," he finally says.

Tony nods. "See you back at the base."

Evelyn lightly slaps his chest with the back of her hand. "Ow; what was that for?" he responds. "Is that how our relationship is going to be like from now on? I never saw it coming... but since I care for you so much, I suppose I just have to learn to live with it." Tony clenches his eyes shut and raises his hands in surrender. "Do what you must to me. But may I suggest you release your anger through sexual acts? I think I can bare it."

Chuckling, Evelyn says through a smile, "You're incredible."

He opens one eye. "Didn't we already establish how awesome I am?"

"You've been teasing him since we left Malibu."

He shrugs, letting his hands drop to his lap. "Who else is going to do it? Without me he would have no fun."

The Humvee falls into a lapse of silence on the way back to base camp, and Evelyn and Tony lock gazes. She can tell that utter silence and Tony Stark don't mix well. She raises an eyebrow in challenge, to which he responds with his own. The two have a mental conversation.

'_I bet you can't stay quite longer than I can,'_ she challenges.

_'Oh really?' _he responds.

She nods, raising up five fingers. "Five," she mouths.

"Five?" he mouths back at her. She nods.

A mischievous smile claims his lips._ 'Deal.'_

Guess who wins?

Tony's leg bounces with inpatients, and his fingers drum against his knee. The silence is killing him, and Evelyn cannot be more amused than she is now; she is loving it, and is trying to fight back a wide grin and her snickers.

Groaning, Tony throws his head back against the seat's headrest. "This is ridiculous. I feel like you're driving me to a court-martial."

"Ha, I win! You owe me five dollars," Evelyn cheers, bouncing in her seat.

"Five dollars? Is that what you meant?"

"What else did you think I meant?"

"Five hundred, of course," he replies. "Only poor people bet five dollars."

"I am a poor person!" Evelyn gawks.

"A poor person who just became five dollars richer," says Tony in a charming and soothing tone.

_Nice save,_ Evelyn's eyes narrow at him.

To save himself, Tony changes the subject and turns to look at the two soldiers seated up front. "Come on, guys, say something. What did I do? I feel like you're going to pull over and snuff me. I mean, what, you're not allowed to talk?"

"We can talk, sir," answers the female solider, who is driving.

"Oh, I see. So it's personal?"

"No, you intimidate them."

"Intimidate them? You guys are expertly trained to kill all kinds of bad guys, and yet it is I who intimidates you?" he jests. He receives a few muffled chuckles. "Come on, it's okay, laugh."

"Sir, I have a question to ask," the solider next to Evelyn says.

"Yes, please." Tony readily accepts.

"Is it true you went twelve for twelve with last year's Maxim cover models?"

Tony's eyes visibly widen, and Evelyn's interest is perked.

She prolongs a whistle. "Twelve for twelve? Impressive."

Clearing his throat, Tony glances nervously at Evelyn. She patiently waits for his answer. "That is an excellent question. Have I introduced you to my lovely girlfriend, Evelyn."

"Oh, I'm sorry..." the young solider immediately apologizes.

"It's all right," Evelyn replies. She turns to Tony, and asks, "Well?"

"Well, what?" he questions, bewildered.

"He asked you a question," she reminds him. "One which I am very interested in knowing the answer to."

Tony goes rigid. "Well...it's, uh..." He shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "I...sorta did. March and I had a scheduling conflict, but the Christmas cover...was...twins," he informs with hesitation.

Evelyn's jaw slacks. "There was a schedule? Were there other women on this list?"

"Did I ever tell you how beautiful you look today?" he smiles sheepishly.

"Did you ever sleep with Amanda Seyfried?" she eagerly asks.

Tony blinks, obviously taken aback by the question. "What?"

"Did you ever have sex with Amanda Seyfried, the actress?"

"And if I did...?"

Evelyn's eyes shine as she thinks of the blonde fair-skinned beauty that is Amanda Seyfried. "It would be awesome. She is my turn point."

"Your what point?"

"My turn point: I would totally go lesbian for her if she wanted me to."

It is Tony's turn to gawk. "Are you serious?"

Evelyn casually shrugs her shoulders. "She's hot."

Tony's mouth opens and closes, but no words come out. "Best...girlfriend...ever," he finally utters. Evelyn smiles brightly. Wrapping his arms around her, he brings her close to him so that she is on his lap.

"I like that actress Milla Jovovich," the soldier in the front passenger seat inputs.

"Naturally," comments Evelyn. "She's pure gorgeousness."

"I am loving this Humvee!" cheers Tony. He grins over at the soldier still seating at the other side of the Humvee. "I did tell you that she's my girlfriend right?"

"Yes you did, sir. Congratulations," the solider replies awkwardly. He raises a hand in the air.

"You're kidding me with the hand up, right?" Tony questions with a raised brow.

"Is it cool if I take a picture with you?"

Tony nods. "Yes. It's very cool."

"I'll take it for you," Evelyn offers. She slides off of Tony's lap and slides off of the back seat, twisting her body around so that she is kneeling in between the front two seats.

The soldier hands her a silver hand held camera, which she turns on. "Okay; tell me when you're ready."

The soldier shifts over so that he is in the middle seat, and Tony simply leans over. Evelyn smiles at him. She is happy to see that he is taking a picture with a fan without fussing about it.

"All right, say chee..." BOOM! Evelyn yelps, along with everyone else in the Humvee. A tremor rocks the vehicle and she falls forward against the seat, dropping the camera.

"Contact left!" shouts the female driver.

"What's going on?" Tony demands, panicked.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! Three more explosions set off. Evelyn covers her head with her arms and hands and screams. Gunfire is coming from everywhere, nonstop.

"Tony!" she cries out.

She feels large hands on her, pulling at her arms for her to get out from the space between the seats. It is Tony, and he holds her close, squeezing her tightly.

"Jimmy, stay in the car!" shouts the man in the front. He gets out of the Humvee and begins firing round after round.

Evelyn just notices that the female soldier that was in the driver's seat is gone. She frantically gazes out of the window, but she cannot see anything past the thick haze of dust that is engulfing the entire Humvee.

"Stay down!" commands Jimmy. He pulls at the back of Evelyn's dress so that she on her back on the seat; Tony is on top of her, covering her with his own body.

Evelyn only wishes that she has learned his name sooner, along with the other two.

Unknowingly to her, she is crying. Her breath is ragged and her face is wet. Tony tries to soothe her by releasing quite hushing sounds and brushing her bangs away from her forehead, but she cannot stop the harsh pounding of her heart.

"It's going to be all right. They're going to get us out of here, okay? Okay? Nod, Evie, nod with me; okay?"

"O-okay." Evelyn licks her dry lips and shakily nods.

Tony lifts himself off of her and peers out towards the front windows. There is a distinctive popping noise which sends him pressing back against his seat, his eyes are wide.

"Son of a bitch!" shouts Jimmy.

"What happened?" asks Evelyn. Craning her neck so that she is looking up at Jimmy, she sees him fumbling to open the car door and get out. "Where are you going?" she shrieks, sharply sitting up.

"Stay here!"

"Wait, wait, wait! Give me a gun!" says Tony.

Jimmy closes the door behind him without responding to Tony's demand, leaving Tony and Evelyn in the car, defenseless.

BANG! Jimmy is down and holes poke through the metal of the Humvee. Evelyn cringes when she feels something sharp scrape against her skin. She feels another hand grasp at her own and tug; she scoots out of the Humvee with Tony.

Determined not to even have an inch of distance between them, Tony has a firm clutch on Evelyn, but she isn't complaining. She is completely terrified. Slightly disoriented, she doesn't feel when Tony removes his hand from hers and replaces it with the corner of his suit's jacket.

"Don't let go, you hear me? Whatever you do- don't. Let. Go." he commands. She nods after seeing the large firearm in his hands. He cups her cheek with his free hand, gently caressing her cheek. "I'm going to get you out of here. I promise." He presses his lips against hers for a short and bittersweet kiss.

"Do you know how to use one of those?" she asks, referring to the gun. Her answer is questioned when he cocks the gun and aims to fire, but sadly there are no bullets to be fired; the clip is empty.

"Fuck!" Tony curses, throwing the gun to the side. He grasps her hand again and takes the lead.

Edging close to the butt end of the Humvee, Evelyn points spots Rhodey two Humvees away. "There's James!" She can see Rhodey operating a large firearm, firing off into the distance.

"Rhodey!" Tony calls out after spotting his friend. "Rhodey!"

Rhodey briefly stops shooting and turns to face them. "Get down!" He waves at them. "Get back and stay down!"

Tony and Evelyn run, stumbling down a small dune and barely dodging bullets and gusts of fire. Coming up to a large bolder, Tony pulls Evelyn down with him to take cover behind it. He lets go of her hand and fishes his phone out from his pocket.

"Call the base; tell them to send help!" says Evelyn.

Tony begins to dial with speedy fingers. Both of their attention is focus intensely on the tiny cellphone when a soft whooshing noise, followed by the shifting of sand, captures their attention. Looking up from the phone, Evelyn's gaze meets a small rocket shaped missile. The worst part is that Tony's logo is printed on the side. Did their own protectors just fire at them?

Beep, beep, beep.

What happens next passes by in a blur. Evelyn is roughly pushed back and she lands painfully on her side on the ground. Heat licks at her skin as a gust of wind blows over her body with a bright orange flash. She hisses as she struggles to lift herself up with her arms; everything aches. A high pitch noise is ringing in her ears and head, creating a painful migraine. She forces herself to open her eyes.

"Tony?" she croaks out hoarsely and then coughs.

She tries to fan aside the dust and dirt that has accumulated after the explosion, but it does little. However, she can still make out Tony's blue suit a few feet away from her; he is on the ground.

"Tony?" Panicked, she scrambles, knees and hands earning a few good scraps as she rushes to him.

He is on his back, peering up at the sky with an pained expression on his face. Blood seeps through his shirt in large amounts, and Evelyn tries not to cry out. He gazes down at his chest and sluggishly rips open his shirt to better see the wound, but there is so much blood. His head lolls back and he releases a puff of air from his mouth as his eyes flutter shut.

With trembling fingers Evelyn cups his face and makes him look at her. "Tony; Tony, open your eyes. Stay with me," she softly begs. Tears flow freely down her cheeks, but she tries to quiet her sobs.

Tony groggily opens his eyes and stares up at her. "I'm sorry," he murmurs out.

She shakes her head. "There's nothing to be sorry about. You're going to be fine. James is coming; he's coming. Just hold on, okay?"

He slowly nods in return, but his eyes drift closed again and he goes lax in her hold.

Evelyn frowns. "Tony. Tony." She tries to shake him awake, but he is unresponsive. "Tony?" Fresh tears pool beneath her lids. "Tony! D-don't go. Please. Please don't leave me."

"James! James, please hurry! Somebody! Anybody! Please help!" she shouts at the top of her lungs.

She hugs Tony close, fingers gripping tightly against his bloodied shirt, and cries onto his neck. "I just found you. Please don't leave me," she cries wetly.

Someone answers her pleas for assistance, but it isn't the people she wants. A male voice begins shouting at her in a foreign language. Lifting her head, but still clutching Tony's body close, Evelyn's heart contorts in her chest when she sees the men dressed in Arab clothing.

She closes her eyes, silently praying, _God...no. Please, don't do this to us._

One of the men jabs the butt end of his rifle at Evelyn's side and continues to shout at her in a different language.

_...This cannot be the end..._

Evelyn can feel her shoulders lax as she looses hope of help coming to the rescue. When she opens her eyes, the barrels of rifles are pointed in her direction. They inch closer to she and Tony, but she only holds Tony closer the more they get near. One cocks their gun, planning to shoot, and a pulse shoots through Evelyn as she sharply turns to gaze at the man preparing to shot at her.

He flies back, hit by an unseen force.

His comrades rush into action, all cocking their guns and pointing them at her. Another pulse shoots through Evelyn, and all three of the men are thrown back.

Panic sets in; Evelyn frantically looks around, looking for the cause of the men being thrust back, but there is no one. All is silent. Too silent. There is no more gun fire.

Which means...

Dread fills Evelyn's body and she closes her eyes in grief. "James," she softly whispers. Is he...dead?

While her eyes are closed, she sees a flash of white from behind her lids as a solid object collides heavily with the side of her face. She is knocked to her side; the ringing noise in her head returns with a vengeance.

Slowly, her entire world is going black.

"Tony." She reaches for him, but before her fingertips can make contact, she is, again, hit on the side of the head, successfully knocking her out.


	16. Of Triggers and Weaknesses

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © F0REVERM0RE _  
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

**Chapter Sixteen:**  
Of Triggers and Weaknesses

* * *

When she wakes, she is momentarily blinded. A bright light from above both shocks and stings her eyes; clamping them shut, her head lolls to the side, and a low groan escapes from between closed lips.

_Am I dead?_ she wonders because she just has to be dead. But, do dead people feel pain? Her entire body aches and is throbbing painfully in her arms and legs.

"I see that you are awake," comes a distinctive male voice. "I was hoping to make you as comfortable as possible. My men have told me that you are possibly...triggered...by the thought of threat; as you should be. It's natural to want to defend yourself if someone threatens to inflict harm."

Evelyn doesn't have the strength to open her eyes just yet. All she knows is that she is lying on a hard and bumpy cot with no pillow or blanket, she can feel the thick and scratchy material beneath her finger tips; that and she doesn't recognize the voice of whom is speaking.

"Where," she clears her painfully dry throat, "am I?"

"Not on American soil, I can tell you that," replies the voice.

Evelyn can hear the clanking of an item that sounds like metal, followed by heavy footsteps which draw near where she lies. Soon, the cool and clammy edge of a tin cup is pressed against her bottom lip.

"Open," commands the stranger. Evelyn doesn't budge. "You can relax, it is just water. You must be thirsty- you've been asleep for nearly seventy-two hours."

Finally, Evelyn opens her eyes. Her eyes quickly adjust to the lighting in the... Is she in a cave? Her gaze narrows in on the man hovering above her body. He is of Middle Eastern descent, is dressed in loose and baggy robes yet has a camouflaged vest on that she can have sworn she saw Jimmy wear one just like it, and he is smirking down at her, his cold, black eyes roaming her features like she is a new toy to be played with.

Fearing for her life, Evelyn nervously licks her chapped lips and takes the tin cup with shaky hands. The stranger takes a step back, but he is continuing to watch her with his full attention. Evelyn takes a small drink from the water. As the refreshing water travels down her throat, it takes all of her will power not to greedily gulp down the entire cup.

He smirks and turns his back to her, heading for a simple folding chair.

"I apologize; I didn't realize my men would hit a woman of your obvious delicacy so hard. But I believe you frightened them with your...talent."

Evelyn sits up but does not get off of the cot. Clutching the tin cup in her hands, she asks, "Who are you?"

"It isn't polite to ask for someone's name without giving yours first," he retorts. Evelyn remains silent, refusing to give out her name to this man. He scares her. He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "That's too bad. I was so hoping that we can be civilized with each other, Ms Addams."

Evelyn's eyes widen, and her body stiffens with alarm.

The stranger chuckles. "Yes; I know who you are. But I have to admit, Ms Addams, that even I was doubtful of the reports about your relation with Tony Stark. But since your presence was with him during his weapons presentation, and my men have witnessed your abilities, however briefly, I know it now. He's done it, hasn't he?" he asks, staring at her with fascination. "If anyone could it- it would be Tony Stark."

"What are you talking about?" Evelyn asks cautiously.

"Tell me," he rises from his seat, stepping towards her with long and eager strides, "how do you work? I imagine that you don't come with an owners manual," he jests.

What do you know, a terrorist with a sense of humor.

Evelyn stares up at him, baffled. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He frowns. "Do not make this harder than it has to be, Ms Addams." He leans close. "I have ways of making people talk."

Evelyn becomes even more frightened to where tears pool beneath her eyes. "I honestly don't know what you're talking about."

"Your powers!" he shouts. "Show them to me! Tell me how he created you! Was there a formula? A drug?"

It suddenly dons on Evelyn, what this man is referring to. "I am not a bioweapon!" she objects. "That was just a lie one of Tony's flight attendants said to the papers because I..."

The stranger's anger dims. "Because you what?" he fishes.

"I... Because I..." She stares into the black abyss that are his eyes and senses no emotion, no sympathy, just curiosity. "Because I nearly crashed the plane." A lone tear falls, sliding down her cheek and off her chin.

"And how did you nearly crash the plane?" he questions, tone oddly calm and soothing.

Numb, Evelyn answers. "Because I lost control."

"Of the plane?"

She shakes her head. "Of Drusilla."

"Who is Drusilla?"

"She's a demon I accidentally awoken within me after reading a passage written in Latin from my mother's diary. She sacrificed me for fame and fortune."

"And you expect me to believe that?"

"You believed that I am a bioweapon."

"Because they can be created by science, not fiction."

Evelyn's eyes flicker up to meet her capturer's gaze. A brief look of shock flashes across his face by her stoic and emotionless expression.

"___Potestatem Drusilla surgunt._

___Cursum inuise trans aethera._

___Venite ad me, ad te clamo._

___Et sede hic venit ad me,_" she says, monotone.

She doesn't know where this sudden bravery has come from, but it feels foreign. Then comes the tingling. Vibrations travel through her bloodstream, and like the first time she spoke the passage out loud, the light bulbs pop and shatter to pieces.

"Very interesting. Very, _very_ interesting." He ignites a lighter, and the small flame provides enough light for Evelyn to make out his features.

"Where's Tony?" she asks, firmly.

"You don't need to worry about, Mr Stark, Ms Addams. I have plans for him that require him to be alive and in health."

Evelyn breaths a sigh of relief. _He's alive. _Her relief is short-lived, however, when she wants to know why she and him were taken in the first place. "What do you want from him?"

He smirks at her. "What any leader of an army needs: weapons. Obtaining you is just icing on the cake." He turns towards the tall and narrow steel door. "I suggest you get comfortable to your surroundings, Ms Addams, because you are going to be staying here for quite some time. Possibly indefinitely."

"Indefinitely?" she shrikes, sharply scrambling off the cot.

"Until I learn more about what makes you...tick," he replies with a slight tilt of his head. "And then be able to transfer it to my men."

"You can't do that! People will come looking for us!" she shouts.

"You mean people will come looking for Stark," he corrects, turning to face her. "You are just another casualty to them; a person of no value."

Evelyn's lips press together, forming a thin line. "Tony will come find me then," she says with complete determination.

"And why do you think that?" His tone holds a trace of amusement.

She breaks his gaze, peering down at the ground. Pepper's words fill her thoughts._ "You know he loves you, right?" _

"Because he loves me," she murmurs.

He chuckles. "Tony Stark loves no one but himself."

Evelyn locks onto his eyes, again, and says firmly, "He loves me."

He seems to contemplate on what she is saying. "I guess I'll just have to take your word for it." The corner of his mouth lifts. "And just when I thought you couldn't get even more valuable."

Evelyn blinks, realizing what she has just done. Oh crap. She has served herself on a silver platter as bait to use against Tony. But she was only trying to scare the stranger, hoping to get his nerves on edge; she didn't mean to!

"Please. Let me see him," she softly pleas.

"Not just yet, Ms Addams. I want him to suffer just a bit longer. He thinks you're dead."

Evelyn is taken by shock. Her eyes widen. "Why would he think that?" she questions breathlessly.

"Because he thinks everyone from the convoy is dead. I had my men show some rather interesting pictures in order to get him persuaded enough to do as I ask." The stranger smirks and then opens the door to her room (Prison? Cell?) "Oh, but before I forget," he withdraws something from within his robe, "I believe this belongs to you." He carelessly tosses the object on the ground. "I will have some of my men replace the light bulbs and bring you a change of clothes; you're filthy." He leaves without another word.

Evelyn is consumed by darkness as the stranger leaves with her only source of light. Kneeling on the ground, she feels her way to the object that he dropped on the ground, claiming that it might belong to her. She finds it: rectangular, bumpy, made of leather... it's her clutch. Grabbing it, she holds it tightly to her body, as if it is her lifeline, and makes way back to the lumpy cot. She crawls to the farthest corner, bringing her knees to her chest, and sits quietly in the darkness.

"_I was hoping to make you as comfortable as possible. My men have told me that you are possibly...triggered...by the thought of threat; as you should be. It's natural to want to defend yourself if someone threatens to inflict harm."_

"_...you frightened them with your...talent."_

_What is he talking about?_ Evelyn wonders with a frown on her lips. Her mind wanders back to when she and Tony got abducted and how those men were blown back. So instead of receiving help like she originally thought, it was she who did it?

"No; not me," she murmurs in awareness. "Drusilla." The very same person who gave her the courage to divulge information like an idiot and not shit her pants while doing it.

"Uh, Drusilla, if you can hear me," Evelyn feels stupid for saying out loud. "I would really appreciate it if you can get me and Tony out of here. Please."

She waits for some sort of response. A sign. Anything. But she gets nothing. "Of course," she mutters under her breath. Of course she will not come when Evelyn wishes it. She probably will only help if it is beneficial for herself. Groaning, Evelyn plops her forehead down on top of her knees and ultimately lets the sobs take over.

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

When the man who captured her said that he is going to send men in to fix the lights and give her some clothing, she thought that he meant on the very same day he said it- not the next morning. How rude. And when they do come in, she is slightly more relaxed than when she was the day before. Her back is leaning against the cave wall, and her legs are sprawled out on the cot; she has long since removed her heels, letting her toes breath.

They do not talk to her; one goes straight to the line of light bulbs strung up to the wall, and the other throws a balled up white mass at her, which lands softly on her lap. Unraveling the wad, she holds it up into view and raises a brow at the dingy and ratty white dress.

"It's too..." she tries to say that the dress is too big, but then she ceases in her complaining. "Oh yeah, I forgot that you guys don't speak English."

She waits for the men to be done so that she can change in peace, but even after they change the light bulbs they do not make any motion of leaving, in fact they turn to face her and just stare.

"What?" she asks.

One of the men begins speaking in their native tongue (which is obviously not English) while gesturing to the dress. Then it hits Evelyn, causing for her jaw to drop.

"I am not changing in front of you!" she gasps.

They continuing arguing while pointing at the dress.

"I'd rather stay in what I'm wearing," she scowls. She throws the dress at them, only for it to be thrown back. "I said no!"

"Is there a problem here?" The stranger that Evelyn woke up to casually strolls into her room/cell/prison (whatever.)

"You hired a bunch of perverts that's what," Evelyn complains.

The stranger barks orders at the two men and they couldn't have left any faster. And now that he is the only one in the room, he turns to Evelyn. "Get dressed."

"If I didn't want to get dressed in front of those two, what makes you think that I'm going to change in front of you?"

The stranger sighs irritably. He swiftly retrieves the gun that is strapped at his side and points it at Evelyn. "I am not in the mood to play nice. Your boyfriend is proving to be more difficult than I had hoped, even after my more affective motivators." He shrugs a shoulder. "I need a new incentive; that's where you come in." His eyes narrow dangerously. "Now. Get. Dressed."

Evelyn hastily shimmies out of the tight gray dress and quickly replaces it with the loose and flowing white dress.

"Interesting tattoo, Ms Addams; a subject to be discussed at another time. For now, we are to test if Mr Stark truly does love you as much as you think he does."

Roughly grabbing Evelyn's upper arm, he drags her out of her room and down a narrow path.

_We are definitely in a cave, _she states to herself.

As she stumbles down the narrow paths of the cave, trying to memorize the way this guy is taking her, her concentration is interrupted when the sloshing of water reaches her ears. The closer she gets to the noise, the more she can hear added sounds of ragged gasps and gurgling.

She begins to panic. "Wh-where are you taking me? I t-thought you said that I am- I am valuable," she stammers.

"Quite, woman," the stranger hisses, squeezing her arm tight. She whimpers.

He calls for the attention of a short and portly man; a man who looks to be exactly the spiting image of a stereotypical Middle Eastern man. The stranger (which Evelyn realizes is the man in charge), talks to the portly man in a clipped and quite tone. The portly man glances at Evelyn, and then nods.

"Uh-oh," she mumbles. Whatever they were talking about can't be good – for her at least.

She is passed off to the portly man and he drags her over to a watering hole with a group gathered around the middle section of the fountain. What Evelyn notices is that each man has a gun, and that the reason there is a crowd is because they are standing around a man who is down on his knees, soaked to the bone and breathing heavily. And who the man is causes for the world around Evelyn to come to a complete halt.

"Tony?" she breaths out his name.

Tony perks. "Ev..." His head is dunked back into the water.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Evelyn cries, trying to free herself from the hold of the portly man. "Stop it!"

Tony is pulled back up for air, but doesn't get enough time to fill his lungs before he is dunked right back in.

"STOP!" She clamps her eyes shut and screams at the top of her lungs. A pulsation ripples out of her chest, and this time she can feel it. When she opens her eyes, she is breathing heavily and guns are directed at her with shaky fingers; four men scramble up to their feet after reaching for the guns they have lost when the invisible force pushed them back. Evelyn knows that she is the cause for the unseen force thrusting them away from Tony, and she doesn't dwell on it.

The men don't fire, and Evelyn has a suspicion why. She briefly glances at the man in charge who is staring back at her with calculating eyes.

She runs for Tony who is still on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

"You're okay!" she cries out in relief, throwing herself on the ground so that she can wrap her arms around his neck.

When he doesn't hug back, she pulls back and discovers that his hands are tied behind his back.

"Evie," Tony gawks in disbelief. "You're alive? You're alive..." A wide grin spreads across his face. "You're alive- YEAH!" he laughs in happiness. Evelyn laughs in sync with him, bringing him in another tight embrace. "Oh thank God, thank God," he breaths in her ear, planting kisses on her cheek and neck- anywhere he can reach with his hands bound really.

Click.

Evelyn goes rigid, as does Tony. That sound has awfully become familiar to her—the clicking of a gun being cocked for fire.

Evelyn slowly leans away from Tony, twisting her upper-half around so that her eyes lock on the barrel of a rifle pointed by the stranger. And if he is the one pointing the gun, that means that he has every intention of shooting. He isn't scared of her like the other men seem to be.

"What is he doing? What are they doing? Don't point that gun at her- you point that gun at me. You leave her out of this. Yinsen, tell them," Tony demands. "Yinsen, tell them to leave her out of this!"

A tall and lanky man with thin wire glasses that Evelyn hasn't noticed until now begins to speak in the main foreign tongue spoken in this cave. What he says seems to amuse the stranger because he smirks devilishly as he continues to stare intently at both Evelyn and Tony.

_Oh no._ Evelyn's shoulders slump because he now has what he wants. Tony's feelings for her have been made clear, and the stranger now has something to use against Tony in order to make him do whatever he asks of.

Her.

* * *

**(A/N) Author's Note:** ***Mini spoiler for Iron Man 3*** Evelyn would have _loved_ that giant bunny.

Just saying.

;)

New fanart photo, drawn by Animechick247, on my page. Thank you, I love it :)


	17. Incentive

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © F0REVERM0RE _  
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

**Chapter Seventeen:**  
Incentive

* * *

"They say to get up," voices Yinsen.

Judging by the armed guards on either sides of him, Evelyn can tell that he is also a prisoner under the hold of the stranger and she feels sympathy for him. How many more captives are here in this cave; and why? She understands why she and Tony are here, but why Yinsen? What did he do to deserve this?

Evelyn is the first to stand, and when she bends over to help Tony because his hands are bound, her gaze falls on to the hole in his shirt. "What the hell is this?" she demands, palm pressing against the circular metal attached to his chest; her fingers slide down the two thick wires that trail down to a car battery on the ground beside him.

"Uh, yeah, can you pick that up for me? I kinda need it," says Tony.

"You need it?" she exclaims. A realization causes for Evelyn's eyes to water. Is this one of the "motivators" that Tony didn't respond to that the stranger told her about?

The butt end of a gun nudges the back of Evelyn's shoulder blade. A rough accented voice talks to her, but she does not hear nor understand because her full attention is narrowly on Tony's chest; everything else falls on deaf ears. Another nudge; more commands.

"He says to get up, right now, or he will have to force you," says Yinsen.

Evelyn's hands clench into fists, as well as her jaw. A dull waves strike and tug at her heart, creating a hollow feeling. Frowning, she brings the car battery to her chest, wrapping her arms fully around it and cradling it. She struggles to her feet without the usage of her hands, and Tony follows suit. Evelyn has to make sure that she stands close to him so that the battery cables don't stretch out too far and disconnect.

A man grabs Tony by the collar of his shirt, jerking his head back. Evelyn gasps. Before she can react, a brown sack is drawn over his head and he is pushed forward, knocking into her; she is forced to follow the tug of the battery cables. Shoved up against Tony, she and he are surrounded by the terrorists whom begin ushering them to move. Evelyn stumbles over her bare feet in order to keep up. Every so often she will step on a sharp rock and wince, or kick a rock and wince; either way she is in pain, but at least it is better than walking in heels.

Evelyn is pushed too hard, and with her hands preoccupied with holding the car battery, she clamps her eyes shut and waits for her face to make contact with a hard surface. Luckily, a strong hand grabs hold of her shoulder and steadies her posture. Risking a glance over her shoulder, she meets the warm and kind gaze of Yinsen. He gestures for her to keep her eyes forward, which she does, but not without passing him a grateful smile in appreciation.

"Evie?" Tony's voice is muffled from behind the brown sack. "Evie are you there?"

"Right here." Evelyn shifts the car battery so that it is cradled in her left arm, and her right loops with Tony's, squeezing, hoping to provide comfort. She sneaks a glance towards the stranger whose jaw is clenched tight as he stares forward.

Why had he only placed a bag over Tony's head? Why not she or Yinsen? _Because he is more likely to actually remember the layout of the cave, unlike you,_ says a voice. Evelyn's heart swells with hope. _Drusilla?_

Nothing.

"Are you all right?" Tony breaks Evelyn's concentration.

"Enough," she replies though a shaky breath. She is about to ask the same question to him, but she is interrupted when she is nudged forward one final time. Thankfully she has a hold on Tony so she doesn't fall forward again.

There is a bright light at the end of the tunnel, and she closes her eyes, relying on the men guiding her while her eyes adjust to the lighting from behind closed lids. When her eyes open, she gasps at the sight before her. They are in a large quarry that stretches on for miles; pitched tents dot along the edges, covering crates containing guns, missiles, and other weaponry.

The worst part? All of the crates have the Stark logo imprinted on the sides.

"Tony...?" Evelyn murmurs out the first part of her question but stops herself for she doesn't know what to exactly ask.

"He wants to know what you think," Yinsen translates from behind her.

"I think you got a lot of my weapons," Tony mutters.

Side-glancing at Tony, Evelyn can see that the guards surrounding them have taken the sack from off his head and are in the process of cutting him loose from his binds. "Can they be forgeries?" she asks.

"No," he replies grimly. He rubs his wrists, which are red and raw from him struggling against them; Evelyn frowns in concern.

The short and portly man struts in front of Evelyn, Tony and Yinsen, gesturing towards the open quarry with a proud and toothy grin on face. He beings to speak, and Yinsen translates, "He says they have everything you need to build the Jericho missile. He wants you to make the list of materials. He says for you to start working immediately, and when you're done, he will set you free."

Evelyn jaw slacks when Tony clasps hands with the portly man, smiling as if in agreement. He shakes and nods, but says, "No he won't."

Yinsen doesn't translate it back to the portly man, however, he mimics Tony, speaking in English, "No he won't."

_He most definitely won't._ Evelyn nods in agreement, eyes interlocking with the stranger who is standing a few feet away, watching with vigilance. She has heard his plans, for her at lease, and he isn't planning on letting her go any time soon. The word indefinitely still hangs dreadfully in the back of her mind.

The portly man glances over his shoulder to the stranger, and the stranger nods once. The portly man returns the nod and then barks some orders while gesturing to Evelyn.

Hands roughly grasp her, tearing the car battery from her arms and shoving it in Tony's chest; she cries out in surprise.

"What are they doing? Hey, stop it!" Tony tries to come to her aid, but he, along with Yinsen, is held back.

Evelyn struggles against the grasping hands, but she isn't strong enough and is knocked to the ground on her hands and knees.

Click.

_Son of a bitch!_ She freezes, her whole body going stiff. A solid, square shaped object is pressed against her temple. She doesn't bother to look because she knows what it is. How many times is a gun going to be pointed at her today?

Breath coming out in ragged puffs of air, Evelyn's lips tremble as she meets Tony's wide and alert gaze.

"He says," Yinsen gulps, "that if you do not do what he asks, he will kill the young woman right in front of you. He will make it slow, and he will make it painful. He will let you live, but only so that for the remainder of your days you will suffer with her death haunting you because it could have prevented."

"I already said that I would do it, didn't I? What more does he want?" Tony barks.

"Tony, don't." Evelyn frantically shakes her head. She doesn't want him to bend to the terrorists will just to save her life.

She is let go, but kicked free by a blow to her behind. She lands on her front with a grunt; dust wafts in the air and dirt gets into her mouth. Coughing, she gets on all fours and tries to spit the dirt out from her mouth. A strong arm wraps around her waist, helping her to her feet; it is Tony.

"He says that he will give you the night to come up with the list of supplies you need to build the Jericho," says Yinsen. "You will start tomorrow." His tone is low and filled with sorrow.

"Fine; whatever," Tony replies through gritted teeth, holding Evelyn tight and protectively.

The three of them are ushered—more like dragged—back into the darkness of the cave. But, again, Evelyn is ripped from Tony's side and is dragged in a different direction.

"What? No! Tony!" she cries out, trying to get back to him.

"Evie!"

It comes to the point where Evelyn is thrown over a shoulder and carried off to God knows where. Slowly, Tony's voice is lost in the distance. "Where are you taking her? Where the hell are you taking her? Evelyn!" Tears fall freely from Evelyn's eyes.

She is tossed carelessly onto a chair that is at the opposite side of a table. Seated across from her is the stranger.

"Why are you doing this?" she murmurs wetly.

"I believe you already know the answer to that question."

Evelyn doesn't respond.

"It seems that your power isn't triggered by the threat of your own life like I originally thought, Miss Addams. It is triggered when the life of the one you care about is threatened," he voices his new found knowledge. "So now I don't have to worry about hurting you anymore; if needed that is."

Evelyn's eyes sharply meet his in alarm. He chuckles.

"I tried to look more into this...demon you spoke of. Drusilla was it?"

"So you believe me?"

"To an extent. I know that what caused the lights to blow out in your cell wasn't the cause of a power outage. But I could not find any information on a beast with that name. So I need for you tell me whatever you know of it."

Evelyn frowns. "I don't know much. Tony and I were going to find out more once we got back home." It is the Stranger's turn to frown.

"What unfortunate timing then," he mutters. "Tell me what you know."

"I already told you. My mother summoned her and scarified me to her for fame and fortune."

"By speaking that incantation?" Evelyn nods. "What does it mean?"

"It's Latin."

His eyes narrow. "I know that." Evelyn shrinks in her seat at the menacing glare.

"I only know the translation in English, not...whatever language you speak," she says meekly.

"Say it to me in English then."

Gulping, Evelyn licks her dry lips. "_P-power of Drusilla rise. Course unseen across the skies. Come to me, I call you near. Come to me and settle here._" She prepares herself for the aftershock of speaking the incantation, but nothing happens.

The stranger leans on the table's surface, interlocking his fingers together. "Nothing happened." It seems that he is waiting for the same thing.

"Maybe it only works when you say it in Latin?" She shrugs.

"Then say it in Latin!"

Evelyn flinches at the sharp tone. "_Po...Potestatem __Drusilla sur...sur._.. I...I can't remember the rest.**"**

The stranger growls, slamming his palms on the table. "What do you mean, you can't remember? You spoke it to me before!"

"I-I don't know why! I just...I just can't!"

"How do I get in contact with this demon?" He demands through clenched teeth.

"I... I don't know," Evelyn stammers, eyes wide.

"If she is in you, why can't you summon her?"

"I tried that; it didn't work. She doesn't come out when I want her to- only when it's convenient for her."

The stranger leans back against the chair, clearly fuming in anger. "It seems that it is going to take some convincing to get her out then." He snaps his fingers.

Evelyn perks in her seat, watching the men coming at her with frightened eyes. She looks back to the stranger, silently pleading him to not hurt her, especially after he just said that he isn't afraid to harm her anymore. "Please don't."

"If the demon cares to live on in your body, it will come out and speak with me." He smirks as the men grab Evelyn, dragging her out of the seat and towards an unknown destination.

"Please!" Evelyn cries out, sobbing. She kicks and screams. "Please don't! Don't! SOMEBODY, PLEASE HELP ME! PLEASE! Please don't do this. NO, NO, _NOOO_!"

**[Tony]**

He stares into the burning flames of the open furnace, slumped in a seat. He feels helpless. No, scratch that, he is helpless. How can he just let them take Evie like that? He inwardly grimaces; he can still hear her call out to him as the terrorists dragged her away from him.

_This is all my fault._ He's the one that convinced her to come along with him to a "harmless" presentation. And despite the many opportunities to leave her at home, safe and sound, he talked her way past Pepper and Rhodey and into his plane.

God only knows what they are doing to her right now. Is she at least in front of a fire, like him, keeping warm against the frigid air of the dark cave? Damn deserts: hot as hell in the mornings, yet freezing during the night.

The part of him that tricked the terrorist into thinking that he will actually build him a Jericho missile is quickly being overcome by the side of him that is stupidly in love with a woman he's only known for two weeks (and only been dating for a few days.) He will do anything to keep her safe. Alive.

"I'm sure they're looking for you, Stark. But they will never find you in these mountains," says Yinsen. However, Tony doesn't even spare him a glance; he is too busy wallowing in self pity. "Look, what you just saw, that is your legacy, Stark. Your life's work, in the hands of those murderers. Is that how you want to go out? Is this the last act of defiance of the great Tony Stark? Or are you going to do something about it?"

_Is this guy still yapping?_ Tony lazily turns his head to face Yinsen, who is crouched beside him. When did he get there?

"What can I do? Either way they are going to kill me, you...Evie," he chokes out. "And if they don't, I'll probably be dead in a week," he adds, tapping the metal plate embedded in his chest.

"Well, then, this is a very important week for you, isn't it?"

Tony realizes that he is being selfish and stares at Yinsen. He has been here for much longer than Tony. Has he been here for weeks; months; years? Who knows.

"You have a family, Yinsen?" he asks.

Yinsen nods. "Yes; and I will see them when I leave here."

How can this guy still have so much hope of returning home when Tony lost nearly all of his in a matter of hours?

"And you, Stark?"

The question weighs heavy on Tony. Does he have family? His parents are dead, yes, but does he have someone he wants to return to? A few people come to mind: Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, even Dummy, his robot... But one is here with him...suffering.

"Kind of," he answers.

"Kind of?" Yinsen questions with a raised brow.

Suddenly bashful, the corner of Tony's lip twitches in a small smile. "Her name is Evie."

"Ah...the young woman here with us," Yinsen replies. "I am sorry, Mr. Stark."

Tony sniffs, shrugging a shoulder. "It's not your fault... It's mine. I brought her here."

"You shouldn't blame yourself."

"I put her in the middle of danger; in a country that is at war not only with itself, but with my country," Tony argues. "How is that not my fault?"

"Well, did you drag her here kicking and screaming? Or did she come with you willingly?" Yinsen asks lightly. Tony doesn't know how to answer because it takes him by surprise. "She came to be with you, Mr. Stark. And now that she is here, you are willing to do everything in your power to return her safely home, am I right?" Tony nods.

Yinsen smiles. "Then what are you waiting for?"

A surge of inspiration swells in Tony's chest. Yinsen is right; he has to stop pitying himself and do something that will help save them all.

The large steal door that serves as both the entrance and exit of the room creaks open and a large mass of white, black, and red is quickly pushed through before the door is slammed shut again. Tony scrambles out of his chair to get to the large mass that is sprawled out on the ground, but he is roughly tugged back and reminded that he has a strict distance constrictor.

"Fuck!" he curses loudly, yanking the battery with him without much thought to the pain that stings all around his chest. He just has to get to her.

Reaching her, Yinsen helps him carefully roll her onto her back. "Oh...fuck. Oh...fuck." Tony doesn't know what to say; he is at a complete lost for words when his hands become wet and sticky with blood.

Yinsen slaps his hands away and beings checking Evelyn's body.

"What did they do to her?" His voice barely comes out above a whisper. His eyes roam her body from head to toe. There isn't a clean spot on her. Her entire dress is soaked in blood; she has a busted lip, there is a gash just beside her left eyebrow, and the side of her face is puffy and red; her arms and legs are caked in dirt and scratches; and her hair, still in its bun, is coming undone and sticking to her skin.

"She isn't dead, right?" That's all that matters to him; is that she is alive. Because normally if a person lost this much blood, they will die, right? Tony closes his eyes. _Oh, God, please don't let this happen. Not to her. Not because of me._

"No, she is alive." Yinsen calms Tony's raging thoughts, somewhat. "This... This blood is not hers."

Tony eyes snap open. "What do you mean it's not hers?"

"It's not hers," Yinsen repeats. "There is no open wound on her body that could cause such hemorrhage; just some scrapes and bruises, nothing too bad."

"Then whose blood is it?" Tony asks warily.

"I... I haven't a clue."

Tony meets Yinsen's worried gaze, and then the both of them peer back down to Evie. And if it were Tony looking into his own eyes, just as Yinsen has just done, he will have taken noticed of the burning fire in his eyes of anger and vengeance; eyes imagining the worst possible scenario.

What the hell did they do to her?

"Yinsen. I know what I have to do. Call them in," Tony commands, monotone.


	18. Power of Drusilla Rise

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © F0REVERM0RE _  
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

Majorly edited on 19 June 2013. Read Author's Note at bottom.

**Chapter Eighteen:**  
Power of Drusilla Rise

* * *

_She tried to breath in, but her lungs burned in protest- causing for her breathing pattern to be ragged, harsh, and shaky with hesitation._

_Her arms were suspended in an awkward angle from behind her; her toes barely scraped against the ground._

_Everything hurt. The men beating her seemed to be taking pleasure in causing her pain; they were exacting their revenge for her using her "abilities" against them._

"_Please...stop." Her voice came out meek and tired – weak. She directed it to the man sitting calmly behind his men. She long since stopped crying; she felt numb. "I don't know it. I don't remember. Please, just, stop."_

"_Not until your demon reveals herself to me and meets my demands," he replied. _

_A powerful surge squeezed the insides of her chest; a high pitched ring strikes at her brain and she screamed. It hurt more than the punches, the kicks, and the slashes. She tried to fight against the pain, tried to stay awake, but she ultimately lost the battle. Her body sagged and appeared motionless – lifeless. However, she was very well aware of what was going on around her; she could sense...everything. _

_The stranger got up from his seat and rushed towards her. She smirked, but it remained unseen because her head is lolled forward- chin pressed against her chest. He couldn't have her die on him, he needed her. The others were murmuring in clipped tones, anticipating what would happen next._

_Just when the stranger was about to touch her – most likely to check for a pulse – she looked up, except it wasn't Evelyn. Although Evelyn knew what was happening, she felt like she was watching from an outsiders point-of-view; she no longer had control of her own body._

_Black pupiless eyes met wide brown ones._

"_You rang?" Her voice no longer sounded like, well, her voice. It was much darker and more sultry. _

_Drusilla._

_The stranger remained speechless. _

_The smirk returned to her lips, and without effort, Drusilla lifted Evelyn's (well, it was hers, too, wasn't it?) body from the ground with strength that Evelyn never knew she had. She pulled herself all the way up to the hook that is holding her up in the air, and she let herself free._

_She landed gracefully on the ground and untied the ropes around her wrists. And before their very eyes, the more dangerous wounds on her flesh began to heal over._

"_I couldn't help but overhear that you want me to meet your demands." And in an almost gentlemanly and polite manner, she swept her arm in the air in front of her. "Well, ask away. I aim to please."_

_The stranger smirked and visibly relaxed. "I want power."_

_Drusilla tapped her chin. "Power you say? Now, are you sure? Because with power comes great sacrifice." _

_The stranger nodded. "I want to rule these lands, forever."_

_Drusilla dramatically bowed. "As you wish. However," she stands erect, "now comes the sacrifice part." A wide devilish smile spreads evilly over her face, and her eyes glint a crazed emotion that causes for fear._

_She shot out her arms, palm flat forward, and the men behind the strangers fly back onto the cave walls. Before the stranger could react and shout orders, Drusilla moved with speed that borderlines inhuman. She slid up to the stranger and disarmed him of a large hunting knife tucked into the sash around his waist. She carelessly tossed him to the side and focused her attention on the men working underneath him. Laughing wickedly, she attacked. She stabbed one in the chest, sliced another across the throat, and expertly kicked one that tried to stop her to the ground. And when they tried to run, she just pulled them back and snapped their necks. Their screams and pleads for help only drove her to do more harm._

_The deed took only but a minute, and a total of seven men were dead. Blood was everywhere: the walls, the cave's ceiling, but more specifically – on her. She was drenched in blood from head to toe, and she didn't even bat an eye._

_She dipped her fingers in one of her victim's blood, and wrote on the walls__: ____Potestatem Drusilla surgunt. Cursum inuise trans aethera. Venite ad me, ad te clamo. Et sede hic venit ad me._

___Once done she dropped the knife onto the ground and spun around on the balls of her feet to face the stranger who is pressed up against the wall._

_"__What?" she spat. "Did you actually think that once you summoned me, that I was going to grant you whatever your heart desires? How dare you suggest that I meet __your____ demands! I'm not a genie. You think I got all this power by granting people wishes?" She bent over so that her face was mere inches away from the strangers. She pointed to the words written in blood. "Summon me again; I dare you."_

___Drusilla blinked, and then Evelyn was Evelyn again. She gasped in horror at what she had done, peering down at the stranger with a horrified expression._

_"__What...?" A sharp pain erupted in her belly, spreading a searing burning sensation throughout her whole abdomen. Her hands wrap around the cause of her pain, and soon her eyes follow. The hilt of the knife sticks out from her stomach, at the space between and just below her breasts. and is a huge contrast from the red that has taken over her once white dress; the entire blade has easily sliced through her like butter, and she doesn't want to know exactly how long it is (three inches? Five inches?.) Looking back up at the stranger, he is staring at her with mixed emotions: fear, determination, indifference, and she coughs – blood spilling out from her mouth. _

___She fell to the ground, on her side._

As if the blow has just taken place, Evelyn sharply sits up – screaming. When hands try to grasp at her, she fights back by squirming to remain free and unharmed with her eyes clenched shut. And from through the rapid beating of her heart that has oddly taken over her hearing, she can hear her name being called, and she stops.

"Hey, hey – it's just me. It's all right – it's me – it's Tony." His hands gently cup her face, wiping the hair that has stuck to her skin away from her sweaty face.

A pitiful sob snorts out from her nose and mouth; she blindly reaches out for Tony's comfort and buries her face into his chest, but her nose to come in contact with a solid object. Sharply pulling away, she scrambles to the edge of the cot she has been placed on and her back collides with the cave's wall. With wide eyes and shaky fingers, she extends her hand and barely brushes against the metal plate in his chest.

"I di-didn't hurt you, too, did I?" she whimpers, and fresh tears pool beneath her eyes.

"What? No, no, of course not," Tony immediately replies. He scoots closer to Evelyn, but her eyes are no longer on him, they are on the dozens of men filling the room, and Yinsen. Supplies are scattered throughout the cave, taking up any free space: wooden creates, various shaped boxes, and weapons ranging from small missiles to vastly larger ones.

"Yinsen, tell them that this is all I need for now. I'll call if I want anything else," Tony announces.

"You're not going to actually build them that missile, are you?" Evelyn forces her gaze solely back on Tony. She tries to ignore the terrors surrounding her.

Tony nervously glances over his shoulder before turning back to Evelyn. "I would like to think you know me a little better than that, Evie."

She frowns. "I do, but... I just don't want you to do anything you don't want to because of me."

He reaches out to her, but she turns away, slinking back from his touch. Hurt crosses his face, and she gently takes his hand in her, running her finger tips along his grime covered palm.

"I just don't want you to get blood on your hands," she murmurs quietly. She can feel the sticky substance cake her entire body, and she feels dirty. Not only literally, but figuratively; she feels tainted. She killed people. It may have been Drusilla controlling her, but it was still her body.

Tony clasps her hand with both of his, trying to calm her shaking.

"What happened?" he asks. "Yinsen says that the blood isn't yours." Evelyn can sense the great hesitation in his voice, as if he wants to know but at the same time doesn't because he blames himself for the terrorists causing her pain.

Memories flood her mind, and she finds herself nearly hyperventilating, struggling to catch her breath. Despite her excuse of not wanting to stain him with the blood coating her body, Tony still pulls her close. Her fingers clutch the sleeves of his coat in desperation. Gradually, her pants slow to what can be considered normal-ish, and her tight grip on Tony goes lax.

"Let's get you cleaned up, hm?" Tony suggests softly in her ear. Evelyn nods in agreement. He guides her over to the farthest corner of the cave that serves as a wash area; there is a pitcher of water, a basin, a small mirror, and few utilities. "I'll give you some privacy. Yinsen and I will be right over there if you need anything," he says before he leaves.

Evelyn watches Tony depart from over her shoulder, and once he reaches one of the tables that Yinsen is standing near does she turn to face the small mirror. After a brief glance at her reflection, she clenches her jaw and diverts her gaze.

She practically peals off the blood soaked dress and then kicks it off to the side; she'd rather walk around in her underwear than put that thing on again, which thankfully she choose a matching set of a black bra and panty, and the evidence of blood is non-visible.

Kneeling on the ground, she pours a decent amount of water into the basin and then dips a rag into clear liquid until it is entirely soaked. First, she starts with the back of her neck and then travels down to her arms and stomach. However, once she reaches the spot where she was stabbed, she lets the pink water drip away until she can see the faint outline of a three-inch marking; it isn't a scar, it isn't a scratch – it's just there. Did she even get stabbed? Did she dream the entire thing? Her eyes veer towards the blood covered dress. If it was a dream, then where did all the blood come from?

Tearing her gaze away from the dress, Evelyn continues to scrub her skin clean. When she is done, the water in the basin is stained red rather than clear; and she still isn't done. Forcing her gaze to the mirror, she wipes her face clean. She winces when she comes in contact with the angry scrape/bruise at the side of her temple and halfway down her cheek. Sighing, she lets down her hair and grimaces when she tries to run her fingers through her long locks, but gets stuck instead. She grabs the bar of soap and gets to work on washing her hair.

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"Hey."

Evelyn blinks at the sound of the soft voice; she hasn't realized that she has been staring at her reflection in the mirror with her chin propped up on her knees, which she is hugging close to her chest. Even though she is clean, it's like she can't recognize the woman in the mirror anymore.

Her eyes turn up to face Tony. He covers her half-naked body with the jacket that he was once wearing and then sits down next to her, dropping the car battery between them.

"They also gave me this when bringing me the supplies," he says giving Evelyn a familiar item. "It's your purse right?" She nods and silently takes the small pocket book in her hands. She opens it and retrieves her glasses; thankfully they are in good condition. Now she can take off her blasted contacts which are beginning to dry out. She's lucky that one hasn't disappeared behind her eye.

From the mirror's reflection, she can see Tony watching her as she exchanges her contacts for her glasses.

He sniffs once and rubs his nose. "If you're done, Yinsen wants to take a look at you – see if you're okay. He's a doctor."

Evelyn simply nods and fluidly rises to stand, zipping up the jacket in the process. She tries to ignore the pang of guilt that strikes at her heart when Tony looks solemn by her lack of response as she passes by him, heading for the other captive.

"Ah, hello Miss Evie, correct?" Yinsen greets with a kind smile. Evelyn nods. "I just want to do a quick examination if that is all right with you?" Again, Evelyn simply nods and she casually unzips the jacket. It doesn't even faze her that she is half-naked in front of a stranger. Normally she will be blushing up a storm and avoiding eye-contact at all cost. Well, she's still avoiding eye-contact, but that is because she feels utterly numb at the moment, staring at the ground.

"How do you feel?" Yinsen softly questions, pressing two fingers along various parts of her body; she only grimaces at certain areas that are still bruised. "Any nausea? Pain? Is there any specific area you would like for me to take a look at?" She shakes her head, but then her body decides to make herself a liar. When Yinsen presses against her belly, she turns her head and vomits. Falling to her hands and knees, she continues to empty her stomach of a fowl and sour smelling liquid that burns her throat as it comes up.

Yinsen holds back her hair, and Tony quickly rushes forward with a cup of water. Evelyn sloppily wipes her mouth and takes the cup, greedily drinking all of the water.

Yinsen sighs, kneeling beside her. "When was your last menstrual cycle?"

"Why?" Evelyn responds.

"Yeah; why?" Tony immediately follows. Evelyn raises a brow in his direction.

Removing his glasses, Yinsen rubs his eyes. "Because it can be two things causing that form of nausea: one, it can be malnutrition, and two... I'm assuming you're sexually active, yes?"

"I'm/She's not pregnant!" both Evelyn and Tony simultaneously exclaim; they exchange a look of embarrassment. Evelyn tightly closes the jacket around her body, holding it closed rather than zipping it back up.

"It's probably the hungry thing," Evelyn mutters. "I haven't eaten in days." But she doesn't dare to mention that she isn't feeling the sensation of hunger. Should she be worried about that? Should she tell Yinsen, he is a doctor. _But then he might go back to the being pregnant thing,_ she inwardly scowls.

"When was the last time you two had intercourse?" asks Yinsen.

Evelyn blushes, and Tony scratches the back of his neck.

"On the plane," she mutters her answer. Tony nods.

"The day of the presentation; five days ago," he adds.

"Oh God, we've been here for five days?" Evelyn gawks.

"Five days is too soon to know if you're pregnant without a proper examination. When was your last menstrual cycle, Miss Evie?"

"Um, I don't know – I'm irregular," she answers. "About a month ago, I think."

"You are not on any sort of birth control?" he asks a follow up question.

"No."

"You're not on the pill?" Tony directs to Evelyn. "When were you going to tell me this?" he nearly shouts.

"Marcus advices against using birth control because it could effect performance," Evelyn explains. "Weren't you using protection?"

"I...well...most of the time," Tony fumbles his response.

"What do you mean most of the time?" she shrieks.

"Half the time we had sex, we were drunk – so excuse me! You're suppose to be on the damn pill! Isn't there a law for women to always be on birth control?"

"Now, there is no need for panic," Yinsen cuts in before Evelyn can shout back at Tony. "May I continue the examination?" he asks politely. Evelyn hesitates to nod and reluctantly opens the jacket again. When Yinsen presses against her lower belly, she feels like she wants to throw up again, but she holds it in. "Can you remember when you two had intercourse without using protection?"

"Vegas," Evelyn and Tony say in unison. They were both drunk out of their minds, it would be a miracle if Tony had managed to put on a condom during their drunken tumble.

"And how long ago was that?"

"About a week ago," answers Evelyn.

"Can you be more specific?"

"Seven to eight days," Tony clarifies.

"Hmm." Yinsen hums. "How do you feel when I apply pressure right here?" he asks Evelyn, pressing just below her belly button. And to answer his question without uttering a word, Evelyn covers her mouth with her hand, trying to hold back a gag. Yinsen withdraws his hand. "The symptoms are conflicting, and like I said, it is too soon to tell if she is experiencing early symptoms of pregnancy without a proper examination. For now, we should assume that she just needs a good meal in her belly, which should be arriving at any moment. We've run out of supplies."

"I thought a woman could never tell that she's pregnant until a month into, well, being pregnant," says Tony.

"Yes and no," replies Yinsen. "They can show symptoms even days after they are impregnated. Usually with sighs of," he gestures to Evelyn, "fatigue and nausea. But you are correct when the more common symptoms that you are referring to occur a few weeks into the pregnancy."

Upon Yinsen's good timing, the sound of the cave's door being unlock reaches the captive's ears. Tony and Yinsen sharply rise to their feet and raise their hands in the air. Evelyn isn't allowed much time to be confused and is ushered by the two men to follow suit, and she does just in time for the men to come in with three trays of food. Evelyn eyes the chunks of bread and bowls of what looks like soup with greed.

See, she's not pregnant, she's just starving and didn't notice until now when she has seen food for the first time in days. Even if it's gross looking food.

Two of the men holding the trays of food make a comment to one another, and then soon Evelyn feels eyes zone in on her person. She first looks at Tony and Yinsen and sees that their eyes are directed downwards; she follows their gaze and notices that she is giving the people who kidnapped her a show. Gasping, she scrambles to zip up the jacket.

"Yinsen, maybe now is a good a time as any to ask for some clothes," Tony remarks.

"Yes, I agree," Yinsen replies with a nod. He speaks to the terrorists, and they say something in response before dumping a bag on the ground and leave. Yinsen sighs. "They said that they will see if they have anything to spare, but it is doubtful."

Tony snorts. "Liars."

"Shall we eat?" Yinsen proposes, gesturing to the food.

"Should we eat it?" Tony questions with a raised brow. "What if it's poisoned?"

"I take it that they don't usually cook for you," Evelyn comments.

"Nope. Not even once," replies Tony.

"I don't think they would poison all of us," says Yinsen. "They do need you to complete the missile, Mr. Stark."

Yinsen picks up the bag and opens it. Inside, Evelyn can see the tops of canned food. "Ah," Yinsen nods, "I think this is more of what we were expecting. This should be enough food to last us for another week or so."

"Soo," Evelyn points to the trays, "can we eat that or what?"

"I don't see why not."

There are three trays, so each of them get one, but before Evelyn can dig in, Yinsen places his share of bread on her tray.

"I think I can fill up plenty with the soup," he says.

Evelyn smiles hesitantly. "Thank you."

Following Yinsen's example, Tony offers Evelyn his piece of bread as well. Evelyn doesn't know if she should be thankful or irritated. "I'm not pregnant," she snaps, but nonetheless snatches the bread from Tony's hands. Hey, she's still hungry. She stuffs the bread into her mouth so that she has an excuse to not talk. It is hard and taste stale – gross. She eyes the soup, wondering if it tastes any better.

While the soup didn't taste much better than the bread, when she combined the two – it is edible.

"So," she gulps down the soggy bread, gesturing to the mounds of crates with a pinky, "what are you going to make with all that?"

"First on my list is to get rid of this," Tony answers, tapping the plate in his chest. "I can't work with a battery holding me down." He rubs his chest. "I sometimes forget that I have it, and it _tugs_."

Evelyn frowns, she reaches out and gently touches the cool plate. "Why do you need it?"

"It is keeping the shrapnel from penetrating his heart," answers Yinsen.

Evelyn gawks. "You have shrapnel trying to penetrate your heart?"

Tony shifts uncomfortably, grasping Evelyn's hands so that she is no longer touching the metal plate. "It's from a bomb that I created," he mumbles.

Evelyn blinks in realization. "The one you pushed me out of the way of," she murmurs wetly, tears welding up in her eyes. "Oh. Tony, I'm..."

"Hey; don't," he interrupts her, gently squeezing her fingers. "It was either the both of us, or just me. I didn't hesitate to push you out of the way, and I don't regret it. I don't think I can bare to see you get hurt by one of my..." he doesn't finish, but then again he doesn't need to. Evelyn smiles, bringing his hand up to her lips and planting a soft kiss on his knuckles.

"So how can I help?" she asks.

"I don't think..."

She interrupts Tony by saying, "I'm fine. I really think I was just hungry. Look – press my stomach again." She sits up on her knees and lifts the end of the jacket so that just her bottom half is showing and not her chest.

"I don't think that's wise. Even if you might not pregnant, you still just ate so there is a chance that you might regurgitate again," advices Yinsen. Evelyn puts the jacket down.

"Well, I can't just sit here and do nothing." She frowns. "I want to help," she directs to Tony. "There has to be something I can do. I know that I'm not exactly the sharpest color in the box when it comes to technology, but I can follow directions pretty well."

Tony sighs, rubbing the space between his eyes. "You can probably help in taking apart some missiles to get the palladium out of them. It might actually speed up the process in replacing this thing. How many do we have right now, Yinsen?"

"Five, before Miss Evie woke up."

"Just call me, Evie, please." Yinsen nods.

"Great," Tony deadpans. "Well," he clasps his hands together, "lets get back to work. Yinsen, show Evie how to locate the palladium while I prepare something else I need."

While Tony rummages through the crates, Evelyn follows Yinsen to a row of missiles that are side by side each other on a table; the first five have obviously already been disassembled (since they lie in pieces on the floor), and there are six left on the table that are in one piece.

Evelyn reads the Stark logo on the side of one missile. "Tony made these?" she questions to no one in particular; she is just thinking out loud. She knows that he is a weapons designer, but she has never seen one of his creations up this close before (besides the Jericho missile. But even that was a good, safe, distance away. Plus, she hid behind Rhodey during the backfire). There are just so many different kinds is all she's saying. _Different ways to blow you up,_ she can't help but think.

"Yes, he did," replies Yinsen. "But sometimes a person can have good intentions, yet have others twist it around for their own benefit."

Evelyn nods in agreement. "It isn't his fault. He didn't know about this," she says. "I'm sure if he did, he would have stopped it."

"Shall we get started?" Yinsen gestures to the missile, and Evelyn nods.

"Are you sure these things won't blow up in my face?" she makes sure to ask before he begins the process of taking the missile apart.

"No, it will not blow up in your face," Yinsen answers. Evelyn nods, and she watches vigilantly as he carefully disassembles the missile, just so that they can find a speck of metal built in it.

"That's what Tony wants?" Evelyn points to the tiny piece of metal that is no bigger than the fingernail of her pinky.

Yinsen nods. "And now we have six. We need five more."

Evelyn runs her fingers through her damp hair, and then nods. "Okay. I can do that, no problem."

She starts working on her first disassemble, and while concentrating on finding the palladium for Tony, she begins to think about what exactly she is doing this for: to get the metal plate out of his chest; the very thing that is keeping him alive. What will she do if he actually dies? Can she live without him?

"Hey, Yinsen?" she quietly calls for the doctor's attention. She is glad that he is working right beside her, and that they are good distance away from Tony.

"Yes?" Yinsen replies distractedly.

"Let's just say, hypothetically, that I am pregnant," she says slowly. "What are the chances of the baby surviving in a place like this?"

Yinsen stops what he is doing and turns his full attention on Evelyn. "I suppose if we continue in the condition we are being treated now, there is a good chance of you having a healthy pregnancy. It would be the delivery that I would be more worried about. This place isn't exactly equipped to safely deliver a child."

"Oh." Evelyn frowns.

Yinsen places a comforting hand on Evelyn's shoulder. "Just know, Evie, that if you are with child, I will do everything in my power as a doctor to safely deliver your child, and keep you healthy as well."

Evelyn smiles. "Thank you, Yinsen." However, her smile is quickly replaced with a frown. "One more question." She licks her lips, subconsciously caressing her stomach. "They weren't exactly...gentle with me before they threw me in here." Her thoughts flash back to the stabbing. Did it happen? Is she losing her mind (again)?

"I don't know what to tell you, Evie," says Yinsen honestly. "It is too soon to tell anything."

Sighing heavily, Evelyn nods. "Forget it, I'm worrying over nothing. Lets just get back to work."

"You have the right to be concerned," replies Yinsen. "But maybe focusing your energy on this task will help you ease your mind a little."

Evelyn and Yinsen go back to taking apart the last five missiles, and soon they have all eleven pieces of palladium.

"Great! Now we just have to liquefy it," says Tony. "It should take about an hour and a half if the furnace is set at its full power."

Evelyn sits back while Tony and Yinsen mess with the furnace's temperature. She's done all that she can do, and she feels useless again. Maybe she should have gone to college like Emily did. She feels stupid.

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

She can't sleep. Wait, scratch that – she doesn't want to go to sleep. It seems that every time she closes her eyes, the memories from when Drusilla took over her body and killed seven men sprout and forcefully rouses her from her restless slumber. Sighing, she rolls over on the cot so that she is facing the wall. Plus, it doesn't help that the jacket feels lumpy and awkward to get in a comfortable position in; the zipper keeps roughly pressing against her skin.

As far as she can tell, Tony is still up working, and Yinsen (unlike her) is blissfully asleep on his own cot.

Tony.

He hasn't really spoken to her since the whole 'she-might-be-pregnant-with-his-child' thing. She feels that he is purposely avoiding her. What does this mean for their relationship? She can't also help but feel that if they hadn't got kidnapped, Tony would have ran for the hills at the first hint of a baby, even if it ends up that she isn't pregnant.

A lone tear slides down her cheek.

"Can't sleep?"

Evelyn hastily wipes away the tear and shakes her head. She doesn't turn to face him for the fear of him seeing her cry...again.

"Mind if I lie next to you?"

Again, she shakes her head and scoots over so that there is room for him on the cot.

Does he finally want to talk? Or does he just want to lie in silence? She doesn't mind either of the two.

After minutes of silence, Evelyn rolls over and snuggles up against his side; a sign of truce. He wraps an arm around her shoulders, enveloping her in a cocoon of his body heat. The damn assholes didn't bring her any more clothes, and the cave gets cold at night.

"Just wait a little longer, Evie. We'll find a way to get us out of here, I promise."

Evelyn sniffs and messes with a strand of loose thread from his shirt. "...I killed people," she finally confesses, just above a whisper. "That's why the blood wasn't mine." Tears spill over. "Every time I close my eyes, I see..." she is unable to complete her sentence. Her mind is already trailing off to the horrid memories.

Tony doesn't say anything. Evelyn doesn't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing.

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

When Evelyn wakes, she is alone. Rubbing away the crud that collected at the corners of her eyes from crying, she groggily rolls over on the stone-like cot. Yinsen's cot is empty too. Shifting her gaze, she finds both men hard at work at the table.

Again, she will be useless by the looks of what they are doing: melding, cutting wires, connecting cables. She huffs. She should have gone to regular high school and then college with Emily instead of performance art school and then straight to a dance company. She put all her eggs in one basket; and she's nearing thirty. There are no dancers of this modern century that are thirty.

She's doomed.

Her stomach silently growls, and she places her hand on her rumbling belly, which reminds her of her other problem.

Double damn.

Curse you, Yinsen, for having a medical degree! How else could anyone notice that she might be pregnant only a week in?

Sighing, Evelyn pushes herself into a seating position on the cot and stretches. Her back pops in three different places and she sighs out in relief. She really needs to stretch out before she gets too stiff and uncomfortable.

"Good morning, Evie." Yinsen parts from Tony's side at the work table and kneels in front of her.

Tony briefly stops in his working to spare her a glance over his shoulder, but then he turns back. She frowns but shakes her head. Being here in this cave is hard on everyone, not just her. There is a lot of pressure on Tony, so how he is treating her isn't relevant to that of surviving. All of their lives are in jeopardy.

"Morning, Yinsen," she responds, her voice raspy. She clears her throat.

"And how are you feeling today? Besides needing a drink of water," he casually questions while pressing two fingers against her inner-wrist and simultaneously staring at his watch. He is checking her pulse.

She shrugs a shoulder. "Fine."

"Hungry?" He pulls away, turning his gaze to met her own.

"Starving."

He smiles. "Good; you still have an appetite. Shall we..."

The groan of the steel door creaking open interrupts Yinsen. Evelyn looks over his shoulder and sees three men enter with guns, followed by the stranger and the short, portly man (the one that Yinsen and Tony probably ___think _is in charge). Yinsen immediately stands, raising both hands in the air. Tony stops working and simply stares at the newcomers; he doesn't budge from his seated position. Evelyn slides off of the cot, standing next to Yinsen, and shealso raises her hands but only half-way.

The portly man says something while gesturing towards Evelyn and Yinsen to come closer.

"He wants us to group together," translates Yinsen. Evelyn nods in understanding and follows him to the work station portion of the cave. It is then that Tony decides to stand up, but he doesn't reach for his car battery, nor does he raise his hands.

The portly man smiles brightly at Evelyn, waving at her to come forth while speaking in what she guesses is a "calming" tone.

"He wants for the woman to step forth," says Yinsen.

Evelyn glances to the side, toward Yinsen and Tony, wondering if she should comply. She takes a step, but Tony is quick to refute her decision. He extends an arm to block her path.

"What does he want with her?" he asks.

At his action, all guns point at him. Shouts are fired at him from all directions.

"They want you to get away from the," Yinsen gulps, glancing down toward Evelyn, "murderer." Even Tony goes stiff at the label. Evelyn's heart contorts in her chest. So it is true. Conformed. She really did kill all those people. Even though they were the bad guys, they still were living beings.

Evelyn turns her gaze to the stranger, and he is not bothering to hide the deep frown on his lips and the intense heat of determination in his eyes. A plan is brewing in his head, she just knows it.

However, Tony doesn't move away from her.

The portly man nods and waves at the men with guns. Only one seems brave enough to respond to the silent order; he marches forward and delivers a sharp blow to Tony's lower abdomen. Evelyn yelps. Tony groans and falls to the ground, clutching his stomach with both arms. The car battery falls with a heavy thud.

The gunman grasps Evelyn's elbow and yanks. She stumbles along until she is directly in front of the stranger. The cave becomes eerily silent as he stares her down into submission. When she finally gives in, diverting her gaze to the ground, he reaches forward- slowly unzipping the jacket.

"Don't...don't you touch her!" Tony coughs out hoarsely from the ground. The stranger doesn't bother to listen.

Evelyn is unmoving as the stranger lowers the zipper to the point just below the wire of her bra. His thumb gently ghosts over the pink fleshy color of the 'almost' scar where the blade of his knife sliced through her like butter. He is probably thinking the same thing as she is at the moment: She should be dead. He re-zips the jacket, covering her.

Who knew terrorists have a sense of modesty?

The stranger leans in close, whispering ever so softly in her ear, "You're lucky I still need you alive. Once I am done with Stark, I have every intention of avenging my men that you so savagely slain... Drusilla. I will find a way to end you." Evelyn silently gasps, her heart leaping in her chest. He is talking to Drusilla, not her, but his tone still doesn't fail to send shivers of fear down her spine.

She isn't ready to die! Not for the actions of Drusilla!

The room starts to spin as Evelyn thinks of her upcoming doom. She can't breath! Oh God, she can't breath!

"...Evie...? Evie."

Someone is calling her name.

Blinking, she realizes that the stranger and his men are long gone. She has been standing completely still, wide-eyed, for the past indeterminable amount time. Her eyes lock with the worried gaze of Tony, and they water.

"He's going to kill me," she rasps out, panicked. "He's going to kill me. He's going to kill me!"

"Shh, shh, hey, hey, calm down." Tony grabs her face with both hands. "Look at me. Evelyn, look at me." At the first time of him ever using her full first name, Evelyn takes in a shaky breath and gulps. "I told you that I'm not going to let anything happen to you, remember?"

She shakes her head. "He-he knows," she stammers out. "Tony, he knows – and he's going to kill me because of her; because of what she did," she whimpers.

"Who...?"

"DRUSILLA!" Evelyn screams out. "He called her out and she... She's the one who killed all those people, not me." Her voice begins to come out just above a whisper, "I didn't do it, Tony. It wasn't me. It wasn't me. I didn't..I didn't mean to. If I could have stopped her, I would have – honestly."

Evelyn is so lost in her own world that she doesn't feel the earth shaking beneath her feet, or see the crumbling walls and ceiling of the cave, hear the distant shouts and screams from beyond the steel door.

"Evie. Evie, I'm going to need for you to calm down," says Tony. He rests his forehead on top of hers, gazing deeply into her eyes; his somber brown eyes shimmer with dozens of emotions at once, each striking its own reaction in Evelyn's heart: pain, confusion, affection, worry, and sympathy. "I know that you are worried about," his eyes nervously shift towards her abdomen, but before he can say anything more, the cave's door screeches open once again.

Various shouts echo throughout the cave, and hands seize Evelyn and Tony, ripping each other from their arms.

"TONY!"

"EVELYN!"

Evelyn is tossed over a shoulder, and she watches as three men hold Tony back as he struggles to break free and get to her. Another man steps into her view; her face is met with the butt end of a riffle. All goes black.

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

___She is tired. ____So tired. ____Her body ____feels like it has been drained____ of all ____its ____energy. No - drained of all hope. Why bother? She's going to die soon anyway._

___She is floating, but she doesn't have the drive to open her eyes. She could stay like this forever, just floating. But this place feels familiar._

_"____Because it is," says a voice._

Drusilla?

___"Forever is a long time, Princess. ____Are you sure you want to make that kind of commitment?____"_

Is that you?

___The spirit doesn't respond._

___Evelyn forces for her eyes to open, but all she sees is pitch black. _Please_,____ she silently begs._ Please help us.___ A spark of hope returns. A simple spark. _You're our only hope.

_"____What's in it for me?"_

___Evelyn closes her eyes._

...Anything...

___There is a long moment of silence before Drusilla responds. "Sleep," is all she ____replies with.____  
_

_(Beep... Beep... Beep...)_

She opens her black, pupiless eyes. After a quick blink, they return to their natural shade of soft blue.

"Good morning, again."

"Yinsen?" Evelyn turns her head and squints up at the doctor. He is wearing a white lab coat and is peering down at a clipboard. "What happened?" she asks. "Where's Tony?"

Yinsen sighs and replies sorrowfully, "He unfortunately was not allowed to come. While they were dragging you apart from each other, I told them that you were pregnant. I'm sorry, but I thought that they were going to kill you. And it took some convincing, but they allowed me permission to run some tests to see if you are actually with child."

"So where are we?"

"A small village under their control called Marwah. I am to return once I'm done with my diagnosis."

"Don't you mean ___we _are to return?"

Yinsen frowns. "I'm afraid not, Evie."

Evelyn becomes anxious. "Why not?"

"It was one of Mr. Stark's conditions."

Evelyn's heart sinks in her chest. "Tony did this?"

"You mustn't hold it against him, Evie. He's only looking out for your best interest."

"But I should be there with him!" she protests.

"Not in your condition you shouldn't be."

"But didn't..." Evelyn trails off. "Wait, did you just say that I'm pregnant?"

Yinsen takes a seat on the stool next to Evelyn's hospital bed. "Yes, you are. I can't give you a definite date because it is too soon into the pregnancy. What I can tell you is that it is less than eight weeks."

Evelyn's limbs and face go slack. She was hoping for him to say something along the lines of: "Nope, you're not pregnant, but it was a close call. Next time use a condom, guys!"

"But that isn't what I'm most concerned with. According to your blood test results, it's amazing that you are even awake. Actually, I'm more than surprised that you're alive."

"I don't understand," Evelyn replies with a furrow in her brow.

"For starters, your blood pressure is extremely high, your sodium levels are critically low, and your glucose level is over what is considered normal. In my professional opinion, I suggest that you remain bedridden until you are healthy again. And the best place to be is here in a hospital."

"But I feel fine!" Evelyn objects.

"That could be pure adrenaline fueling your system, and it could be fatal once it wares off."

"I don't care what it is, just take me back to the cave."

"Evie, you have more than just yourself to worry about now. Think of your unborn child." Evelyn subconsciously flinches at the mention of the baby.

"But what about Tony? I can't just sit here while he's back at that cave."

"There is nothing we can do, at least not now. Patience, Evie, patience."

"You can't just leave me here, Yinsen!" Evelyn tries to persuade him.

"I will come back a week from now to check on you, and so on and so forth until you are well again."

"Then can I go back?"

"I do not know."

"It's Tony, isn't it? He doesn't want me there- not for my safety but because of..." her hands caress her flat stomach.

"You shouldn't say things like that."

"I know," she frowns, "but I just can't help but think it. I mean, come on, I'm sure you heard of Tony's reputation at least."

Yinsen places a comforting hand on top of hers, gently rubbing, but he doesn't say anything. He knows.

She humorlessly chuckles. "So you must know that Tony Stark and father don't exactly go together."

Yinsen sighs heavily. "I'm afraid I must go, my time is up."

"You'll come back in a week?" Evelyn is hopeful.

Yinsen nods. "Exactly one week."

Yinsen rises to his feet, but Evelyn stops him before he can leave. "Yinsen?" He turns to face her. "Take care of him."

"I will."

Evelyn watches Yinsen's retreating form, and when he disappears through the room's doorway, she blinks, her eyes morphing to pools of a black abyss. "About time," she mutters under her breath.

Luckily she has had decades of experience of studying the benign woman or else she might not have pulled it off.

Sliding off of the hospital bed, as soon as her bare feet come in contact with the tile floor, Drusilla coos out blissfully. Ah, to have full control again. She feels _everything_: how many measly guards are positioned out of her room, how many people are in the village, what they are doing, how many buildings there are; a layout of the facility forms in her mind. Evelyn should sleep more often.

Humming, expressing her joy, Drusilla twirls on her toes to the door and casually steps out into the hallway. The two guards standing on either side of the doorway are quick to react, but are too slow. Drusilla grabs the outstretched arm of the guard on her left, yanking him forward and off of his balance. She knees him on the groin, and when he doubles over in pain, she wraps an arm around his neck and with a flick of her wrist- snaps his neck. Using his lifeless body as a shield against the rounds of bullets fired by the second guard, Drusilla disarms the first of his rifle and shoots at the second, killing him.**  
**

Sensing more men coming to the scene of the ruckus, she is swift to steal all of the two men's weapons for personal use. Lifting the barrel of a gun over her shoulder, she shoots; looking over said shoulder, two more bodies fall to the ground.

Standing, she continues down the narrow hallway, passing the windowless openings which allow a natural breeze to blow past her hair. She continues to hum as she trots through the hospital, peeking in at the rooms which have patients. She doesn't harm those who can't defend themselves... but then again, the so called patients in this particular hospital are a part of the very terrorist ring that abducted Evelyn. Backtracking, Drusilla visits each room, silently inspects each patient, some even question why she is there or beg for their lives as she raises the barrel of a rifle, but she doesn't listen nor speak as she pulls the trigger.

Leaving the hospital, no longer in a humming mood, Drusilla scans her surroundings with an emotionless expression. But it is only brief. As she gains the attention of the current occupants of the village, she clenches her jaw as she creates large tremors throughout the village. The men struggle to keep to their feet, but she walks with ease.

_(Bang. Bang. Bang.)_

No one is spared. She shoots everything that has a heartbeat. And the screams only fuel her drive to not leave a single soul alive.

Everything is wrong. This isn't what she planned. This isn't what she wanted! Screaming at the top of her lungs, Drusilla throws aside the rifles and switches to using her bare hands and magical abilities. She sets fires; she snaps bones; she casts strong winds; she raises Earth as protection against firearms used against her.

She is the one who should be in control! She should have climbed in rank above these pathetic humans- taken over of half the nation and have them sink to their knees before her, serving under her tyranny. That is the whole damn reason she wanted a body! To remember what it felt like to have power; to have people know who you are and both fear and respect you.

Now what is she? Reduced by this time and age as a figment of a ballerina's "over stressed" imagination. No one knows who or what she is except for a few chosen. But where are her faithful followers now? Living lavishly in the gifts she bestowed upon them for keeping her essence alive. She needs to regain her order.

She needs to remove the damn seal.

Once Drusilla is complete in killing all life in the village, she sets out on a new task.

Angry voices erupt from various walkies alike. All she needs is one.

Opening the door to a truck and pulling out the body so that it plops to the ground, she steps into the drivers seat. Picking up the microphone connected to a car radio, she presses the button and speaks into the speaker, "Hello, Raza."

Almost immediately she gets a reply.

"Who is this?" the question is cold and demanding.

"Have you forgotten about me already? Now you've made me sad."

"Drusilla," he practically growls.

Drusilla beams at the thought of having an enemy. _This is a start,_ she grins broadly.

"What have you done with my men?"

"I believe the correct question to ask is: What _haven't_ I done to your men? But before you send more for me to slaughter, I have a proposition for you. Do you want to here it, or shall I come to you and kill some more of your so called men?"

He takes a moment before responding. "I'm listening."

Drusilla smiles. "Good. You plan on killing Tony Stark once he builds you that little missile, yes?"

"What matter is it to you what I do with Stark?" he asks.

"Because I want him dead. My use for him is over, and I want him to go away now. You see, Raza, I don't need you. I could end you and your little operation with a flick of my wrist; maybe even take over your position. You've seen what I can do, and you will see it again once you come back to this little village. However, I will leave you and this little patch of land alone if you do me that one little favor."

"Why can't you kill him?"

Drusilla frowns. She wasn't expecting that. "Because I can't. She won't let me. Every time I get near him, he gives her strength."

"So the monster does have a weakness?"

"Don't. Get. Me. Mad." She glowers.

"You guarantee that you will leave?"

"You'll never hear from me again."

"What should I tell him and the doctor? We've made arrangements for the doctor to see you once a week."

"I don't know. Tell them I'm dead, I don't give a fuck. Just remember, Stark dies." As soon as those two words leave her lips, a sharp pain forms at the center of her forehead. Drusilla hisses and drops the mic. "No," she moans, "I need more time. You promised me anything!" she screams, hunching over while clutching her head in pain.

Gasping, jolting back in the seat, Evelyn frantically looks around the interiors of the truck. Running both hands through her hair, she sharply pulls them away when she sees red. Peering down at her hands, arms and legs, she is met with the sight of more blood. Screaming, she scrambles out of the truck and falls to the ground.

Spinning around in circles like an idiot, tears stream down her cheeks as she sees all of the bodies. "Tony?" she shouts. "Yinsen?" _Please be okay_. The last thing she remembers was talking with Drusilla. Is this what she meant by help; killing more people?

After searching the entire village—while trying not to throw up at every sight of a dead body—she finds no signs of Tony or Yinsen. All she knows is that she is in a place called Marwah, judging by the crumbling wooden sign nailed to one of the buildings.

Walking along the dirt road, mind numb, she gets back in the truck she woke up in and turns it on. But where can she go? She's in the middle of the desert. Back to the cave? What direction is that in?

"FUCK!" she shouts, palms pounding against the steering wheel.

Her gaze falls on the car radio. Her fingers fumble to grasp the microphone and she messes with the dials. "Hello? Hello, can anyone here me? Is anyone there? I need help. Hello?"

She doesn't get a response, just static.

She drops the microphone and checks the rest of the truck. When she gets to the glove compartment she nearly shouts out in excitement at the sight of a satellite phone. Hastily grabbing the phone, she dials the only number she has memorized besides her own.

_(Ring. Ring. Ring.)_

"Come on, Em, answer the phone," she begs, bouncing in her seat. "Please answer the phone."

_(Ring. Ring. Ring.)_

"Hello?"

"Oh thank God!" Evelyn cries out in joy, fresh tears spilling from her eyes.

"Evie? Evie is that you?" Emily shouts in response.

"Please you have to send help!"

"Where are you?!"

"Uh... Uh..." Evelyn racks her brain for the name of the village. "Marwah! It's called Marwah! Please, Em, call Rhodey! Call Pepper! Call somebody! Please send help, I'm so scared."

...

"Em? Are you there? Emily?" Checking the phone, she discovers that the battery is dead. "Oh, of fucking course!" she curses, throwing the phone out of the window. Sighing, her head thuds back against the headrest. _Please let her have heard where I am,_ she silently begs to the heavens.

**[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

The sound of a helicopter causes for Evelyn to lift her head. She has been sitting in the truck for hours, watching as the sun went down and stars dot along the sky. It would have been a beautiful sight to see too, if she weren't in such a torpid state.

Stepping out of the truck, with her eyes focused on the sky, she spots four black dots coming closer and closer. Frightened, she picks up a discarded rifle and fumbles to hold it correctly. Well, at least she thinks she is holding it right.

The helicopters land, and she takes aim.

Dozens of men flag out, and the beams from flashlights float either at her or past her. She raises a hand to shield her eyes.

"What the fu...?"

She knows that voice. She knows that voice!

Evelyn drops the gun. "Rhodey?"

"Evie?"

"Rhodey!" Evelyn cries out in glee.

* * *

******(A/N) Author'**s Note: The results are in! And out of thirty-seven votes, twenty-six voted that, sadly, Yinsen must die, and eleven wanted him to live. So, Yinsen must die.

*********As you probably know, The Game Changer was on hiatus for awhile. I really needed to do some thinking on where I am going to take this. This chapter was originally going to be split in two, but I decided against it when the second half came out significantly shorter than my previous chapters. Hopefully there will be no more hiccups in future chapters.

I seriously apologize for all the confusion.

While I have your attention, I made a tumblr and moved all my/your fanart on there. There is a link on my page, or you can look up My - Reality - is - Fiction . tumblr . com (take out the spaces. Damn FF). And I made a community dedicated to under appreciated OC/Canon parings. Please take a look even though there are few works on there at the moment. If you want for your story to be posted on it, or would like to suggest a story, PM me and I'll go check it out.

Oh, and the poll is closed. Out of fifty votes (really, guys, really? But, hey, I'll take what I can get.) twenty-six (26) voted, yes, Evie should be pregnant, and twenty-four (24) said no. However, I have a way that may make both of you happy.


	19. No Hope for the Dead

**Tнe Game Cнanger**  
_An Iron Man (2008) Fanfiction_

_Tнe Game Cнanger © F0REVERM0RE _  
_Iron Man © Marvel Studios_

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen:**  
_**No Hope for the Dead**_

Tony switches off the blow torch and lifts his goggles to better inspect his work. He has been melding and building nonstop for the past week; since Evie went to the hospital, since Yinsen...told him. He has to get them out of here.

"Hey, Yinsen," he calls, rising up from the stool. "Do me a favor and give this to Evie when you see her today. It's just something I put together with scrap metal," he mumbles bashfully, not meeting Yinsen's gaze as he hands over the crudely made palm-sized metal swan. "To give her hope."

"I'm sure she will love it."

"Also, tell her that I'm going to get her out of there. I'm going to get _us_ out of here," he corrects. "So...yeah." He sniffs once, while rubbing his nose, and then sits back down on the stool with his back facing the doctor.

"You are a good man, Mr. Stark."

Tony snorts. "A good man wouldn't have gotten her in a situation like this to begin with."

"How could you have known that this would happen? I'm sure you had good intentions."

Briefly thinking over his reason for bringing Evie to Afghanistan, Tony nods to himself. "Yeah. Yeah, I did. She needed me."

_"You want to be my boyfriend? Even after all this? Why?"_

_He shrugs. "Because you're...Evie."_

Sighing heavily, Tony frowns to himself at his behavior towards Evie. He turns on the blow torch to busy his mind by getting back to work. How can he claim to love her one minute (though he hasn't told her yet), and then want to be as far away from her the next? And for what; because he knocked her up? It was out of her hands; both of their fault. He could have put on a condom, but he didn't because he was drunk and wanted to be intimately near her as fast as possible: to hold her, caress her, to touch her.

God he's an idiot.

Turning off the blow torch with a simple flick of his wrist, he lets it plop heavily to the floor and sucks at his teeth. "Tell her I'm sorry," he declares after a moment's thought. "It's just... I'm... I don't think I'm father material."

"That isn't your decision to make," says Yinsen. "You are going to be a father. There is no backing out.

"Answer me this: When we do leave here, can you go back to living your life knowing that you have a son or daughter out in the world whom knows who you are, but not the other way around?"

Tony doesn't know how to answer. He is conflicted. For as long as he can remember he's called his lawyer at the first hint of: "I'm late." This is exactly why he only does one night stands, with protection. He _always_ wore protection. Always. And now that he actually cares about a woman – BAM, he knocks her up. Of course. Karma is a bitch. Doesn't she already know that Tony Stark hates being tested? He ends up disappointing.

The peephole at the center of the steel door opens, and orders in an unrecognizable language are shouted. Tony, thinking that they are here to retrieve Yinsen so that he can go check on Evie, stands up without protest and rests his hands behind his head. This is becoming like second nature to him.

In comes the portly man, Abu, Tony thinks Yinsen said his name is, and he is, like always, accompanied by two armed gunmen. What Tony notices as odd, is that instead of stepping up towards Yinsen, Abu heads straight for Tony. He motions for Tony to relax and put his hands down, which Tony complies but glances curiously at Yinsen.

Abu begins speaking, and Tony strains his ears to be able to listen to Yinsen's translation over Abu's booming voice. Yinsen doesn't speak, however. Bewildered, Tony glances at Yinsen with a furrow in his brow. Yinsen remains silent with an ashen expression on his face.

_What is going on?_ he wonders.

From the corner of his eye, he sees Abu extend his hand with an open palm. At the center is the diamond studded necklace Tony bought for Evie back in Vegas. On instinct, Tony opens his hand. Abu first places the chain at the center of his palm, letting it pool in a small pile, before ultimately dropping the diamond swan on top of it.

"The... The village was attacked by a rival group," Yinsen murmurs quietly. "He says that the woman... Evelyn is dead."

The world around Tony cease to exist. Blood rushes to his ears; the room starts spinning; he can hear his own heart beating—pounding—in his chest; he falls to his knees; a lone tear slides down his cheek, then another, and another, and another.

A hand clamps down on his shoulder. Muffled voices try to communicate with him, but nothing else matters anymore.

Evie? Gone? Impossible. No.

"She just wanted to dance," he murmurs just above a whisper.

**[EVELYN]**

She opens her eyes and immediately regrets it. The bright florescent lights from above singe her corneas to near extinction. As if she isn't blind enough as it is.

Her mouth is suffering from a serious case of cotton mouth, and her mind feels thick and foggy.

A steady continuous beep comes from her left. Lazily turning her head, her gaze falls upon a vitals monitor, along with other unfamiliar machines.

She tries to move, but her entire body feels like dead weight. She groans. What happened? The last thing she remembers is talking with Rhodey. Well, more like sobbing and wailing for him to hurry up and find Tony and Yinsen before the stranger kills them. She refused to talk with anyone else; she just wanted Rhodey – a familiar face. They tried getting her to talk with a counselor, but that just reminded her that she has already has mental issues prior to being kidnapped by a terrorist group.

Evelyn takes a moment and just lies still. She tries to remember how she ended up lying on a gurney, connected to monitors. However, her brain refuses to work properly. Did she have a panic attack and fainted? If she is in a hospital, a doctor or nurse will eventually come check up on her, right? Tell her what happened.

She groggily blinks, trying to steady her vision. Where are her glasses?

Shouldn't there be some sort of call button?

Evelyn tries to sit up, but she falls back down when her head swims and a faint stinging sensation comes from her arms and nose. She can feel thin plastic tubes tickle against her skin. Sighing, she lets her head lolly to the right side of the bed. She spots, past the metal rod, a large rectangular mirror that takes up nearly the entire wall. Evelyn finds herself staring at her reflection on the mirror for quite some time. Tubes and wires are taped or stuck on/in various parts of her body; she only has a thin piece of white paper covering her private areas- leaving her stomach, arms and legs bare; and thick padded leather straps bind her wrists and ankles to the gurney. Is she really that numb that she doesn't feel the straps.

_(Hisss.)_

"I imagine you must have a lot of questions, Miss Addams."

A man comes into view, casting Evelyn in his shadow. He is dressed entirely in black and has on a long, leather trench coat- despite the temperature in the small white room being warm (probably to keep the naked Evelyn comfortable); an eye-patch covers his left eye, making him look all the more menacing as he stares down at Evelyn with scrutiny. His posture shows that he is on guard, tense, as if Evelyn can attack him at any moment, but his tone of voice reveals that he is calm and in control.

All that crosses Evelyn's mind is that he doesn't look anything like a doctor.

"Wha–" she roughly coughs. Each breath she takes burns and scratches her throat. "What happened?"

The nameless man doesn't break eye-contact when he answers. "You lost control, Miss Addams." He walks away from her bed side and examines the many monitors surrounding her.

_Lost control...?_ Evelyn wonders, completely baffled. "You mean, Drusilla?"

His back visibly goes rigid. "How much do you know?"

"I found my mother's diary," Evelyn feels compelled to answer truthfully. This guy gives off a vibe that says she shouldn't lie to him.

He turns around to face her again. "And in this diary, was there an incantation? A spell?"

Evelyn nods.

"Did you read it out loud?"

Evelyn nods.

"Strange, unexplainable things begin to happen?"

Evelyn nods.

"You don't so happen to remember it do you?"

She shakes her head.

"Good." His eyes sweep over her form from head to toe. "My name is Nick Fury, and I am the director of this facility. I will answer as many questions as I can, but only after we make sure that it is safe to let you go."

"Wait," Evelyn calls before he can leave. "Where's Tony?"

"Still missing."

"You haven't found him?" Evelyn's eyes water. Again, she tries to get up, but can't. "We-we have to go and get him!"

"You are in no condition to be going anywhere."

Evelyn fumes. She has been told that she can't do a lot of things lately, and she is getting tied of it. "I'm pregnant, not disabled!" she argues, pulling at her binds.

Nick is quite as he backtracks so that he looms over Evelyn's head. "I'm sorry that you have to hear it this way, Miss Addams, but you are no longer with child. You lost the baby when you were in a drug induced coma."

Evelyn's lips tremble as she struggles for words to say, but nothing comes out. Tears pool beneath her eyes and stream down her face. Her hands clench at her sides and her head drops back onto the pillow. She screams at the top of her lungs, the high pitch wail containing all of her anguish.

She was scared of being pregnant, yes, of being a mother. But loosing the child is a complete different story.

The lights flicker, and the room shakes.

Various footsteps storm into the room, but Nick's voice is distinctive above the chaos Evelyn is creating: "Let her mourn."

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"You were on the cusp of death when they found you, Evelyn. You were severely dehydrated, starved and beaten." Nick has been trying to comfort Evelyn by not directly saying that it isn't her fault that she lost her baby; but frankly it is falling on deaf ears. She hasn't uttered a word since learning the news. Tears occasionally still escape from her left eye.

Once she woke up from her _second_ drug induced sleep, she was given simple clothes to change into and some men in gray uniforms rolled her in a wheelchair to Nick's office where he was waiting for her. They even had her glasses.

Nick sighs and neatly laces his fingers on top of his desk's surface. "When we placed the seal to contain Drusilla in you, we had no prior knowledge of your mother keeping anything connected to her. I ordered for everything to be destroyed. But when you found your mother's diary and read Drusilla's incantation out loud, you've weakened the seal by opening the part of your mind that we closed. That's all she needs – for you to know that she is there. And whenever you are..." he trails off, but Evelyn knows what he is referring to, "weakened... She slips through, even if it is for a brief moment. You may be the one in control, but the power surges- that is all her reminding you that she is present.

"When we tried to contact the specialist whom contained Drusilla with the seal, we discovered that he has long since been murdered. Most likely by Drusilla's followers."

Nick opens the top right drawer of his desk and withdraws an orange plastic pill bottle. He places it in front of a detached Evelyn. "We cannot chance Drusilla ever breaking free, you understand? You have to take two of these, twice a day, everyday for the foreseeable future. It is vital that you _must_ take these pills. Your life, along with anyone around you, depends on it."

Evelyn slowly reaches for the bottle and takes it with slightly trembling fingers. She peers through he transparent orange container, at the large oval-shaped pills.

Nick heavily inhales and exhales. "Almost thirty years ago, a woman made a selfish choice: she wanted to become famous without doing any of the work. She stuck her nose in a dangerous place and discovered a simple way to fame – magic. She summoned a very dangerous and very powerful spirit who went by the name of Drusilla. Drusilla told the woman that she would give her anything her heart desires, but for a price..." Nick's words are haunting as he rises from behind his desk, strolling around it. Evelyn's heart clenches tight in her chest. "She wanted life."

More tears pool beneath her eyes.

Nick clamps a hand over her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

The door behind Evelyn hisses open, and in enters a rather short, humble looking man in a traditional suit and tie. He smiles politely at Evelyn. "Miss Addams." He nods once. "I am here to safely escort you wherever you wish to go."

"Evelyn, this is Agent Coulson. He will be your handler," says Nick. "All you have to worry about is to remember to keep taking those pills."

"What if I run out?" Evelyn asks.

"Then I will bring you some more," Agent Coulson is the one to answer. He comes up to Evelyn and extends a hand. "You may call me Phil."

"Evie." Evelyn smiles weakly, shaking Phil's hand.

"And where will you like to go, Evie?" Phil asks with a kind smile. His general and benign question causes for Evelyn's hesitant smile to completely wipe off her face.

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

A plane and car ride later, Evelyn and Phil pull up along the curb in front of Emily's house. Evelyn stares at the suburban home with uncertainty, wondering if she should get out of the car and ring the doorbell. Her gaze moves side to side, searching. It appears too quite in her opinion. Too calm. It makes her feel even more nervous. But where else can she go? New York? She probably lost her job. How long has she been gone?

"Phil? How long have I been away?"

"You were held captive for ten days; asleep for five weeks."

Evelyn bites her bottom lip, nodding at Phil's reply. She tries to hold back the tears. Two months almost. Tony's still missing; she lost the last connection to him, her baby; she missed the auditions, probably lost her job (the only thing she is decent at)... Everything of Tony she once had, everything she ever knew, is now gone.

"Call me if you need anything." Phil holds out a thick, white rectangular card.

Taking the card from his hand, Evelyn hugs it to her chest like a life line. Without another word, she opens the door and steps out of the car. Hesitant, she takes tentative steps up to the door and knocks. The door opens a few moments later, revealing a distraught and frail Emily.

Emily's jaw drops as she locks eyes with Evelyn. "Evie?" she questions, breathless.

"...I think I got fired," Evelyn stupidly replies, speaking of her ballet career.

A wide smile stretches across Emily's face, as if _that_ is exactly what she expected to hear come from Evelyn's mouth. Tears stream freely down the blonde's cheeks and soon Evelyn is engulfed in a tight embrace, which she gratefully returns. "Oh God, Evie." Emilyopenly sobs, gripping at various parts of Evelyn as if she will disappear at any moment.

"Tony is still missing." Evelyn's chin is propped up on her sister's shoulder. "I was pregnant," she numbly admits. "I lost the baby."

Emily is racked with sobs, her entire body shaking as she hugs Evelyn tighter. Evelyn follows and she clamps her eyes shut, wishing that this all is a dream and she wakes up in the cheap hotel Tony found her. The two sisters fall to the ground without breaking the embrace.

******[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]x[x]**

"They gave this to me when you were..." Emily awkwardly trails off as she slides over Evelyn's cell phone. "I thought you might like it back. It came in a bag with your clothes found in...his plane."

Evelyn picks up the phone from the table's surface and gazes at it briefly before returning to staring blankly at the plate of food set before her. Who is she going to call? She has no friends. The delicious aroma of Emily's cooking wafts in Evelyn's nostrils, and it is most likely as good as it smells, but she isn't in the mood to eat. She's probably starving and doesn't know it – again.

What is really bothering her, though, is the stares she is receiving from Emily, Richard and Samantha; Danny is off in his own little world, playing with his food. He is too young to know what tension is, but Samantha sure isn't.

"Aren't yew hungry, Aunt Evie?" asks Samantha.

"Probably," Evelyn mutters with a jerky shrug of her shoulders.

"You should really eat, Evie," Emily voices her concern.

"Maybe later."

Emily sighs and shares a wary glance with her husband. Evelyn frowns at the hidden communication. She gets up from her place at the table and heads straight for her room. Closing the door behind her, instead of going for the comfortable bed, Evelyn huddles at the far corner of the room, hugging her knees to her chest. She just wants to be alone for awhile; gather her thoughts.

Taking in a deep breath, Evelyn lets herself relax for a moment, and she remembers that she is tightly clutching her phone. Flipping it open, she is surprised that she still has service. She has quite a few unread messages and voice-mails, but she doesn't have the heart to read or open them yet. She instead connects to the internet and finds herself typing Tony's name into the search bar. She wants to hear the news, any news.

A video that is a few weeks old pops up, and she plays it. An impeccably dressed woman with shiny blonde hair, big perky breasts, and glossy lips speaks into the camera with a serious expression that greatly contrasts with her rather stereotypical appearance.

"The CEO of Stark Industries, Tony Stark, has been missing for almost two months now. The convoy protecting him was attacked after his presentation in Afghanistan, leaving dozens of soldiers dead. The search for his whereabouts are still in full swing, and now there are rumors that he will soon be found-along with his kidnappers. How? Because the mysterious woman whom was later revealed to be Stark's private girlfriend, according to his assistant Pepper Potts, Evelyn Addams, was also present with Stark during his presentation. She was reportedly found in a small village that was brutally taken over by the same band of terrorists that kidnapped her and Stark. Her current whereabouts are unknown, but what we do know is that she has made it safely back here to the States."

Evelyn stops the video by flipping her phone closed. Her head perks when she can oddly hear a muffled conversation taking place beyond her firmly shut bedroom door.

"...time to adjust..." _Emily._

"The kids... scared of her, Emily... can't stay..." _Richard._

"...No idea...happen to her..."

"...know..."

"Where is she... go?... my sister... needs me... us!"

"I'm sorry..."

"...NO!..."

"Emily..."

"Fuck you!"

(_SLAM!_) A door shuts.

It is Richard and Emily. The argument obviously revolved around Evelyn. Evelyn's heart drops in her chest, and her fingers curl around her phone. She's not wanted. She knew that having doubts about returning to Emily's were valid. Emily may want to help, but Richard cares more about the well-being of his children (which isn't all that bad if she really thinks about it).

Her eyes veer from the door and search around the bare room. They land on the window. She pushes herself off of the floor and casually walks over to the window, lifting it open. She double checks that she has the pill bottle Nick gave her before climbing out. Landing in the backyard, she jogs around the house to the front and onto the sidewalk.

If she were in the right state of mind (which she obviously isn't), she would know better than to leave Emily's house because, well, where is she going to go now? She doesn't have an ID, transportation, or money. She can call Phil. He did say to call him if she needs anything. Maybe later, though. She feels like walking. Where to? She doesn't know. Anywhere is good.


End file.
